There's no such thing as a stupid question

Honestly, the only daft thing is not asking it.

Let’s be real for a second—we’ve all been there. Sitting in a meeting, a classroom, or on a Zoom call, thinking “I have no idea what’s going on.” And then that little voice pipes up in your head:
“Don’t ask. You’ll look like a right muppet.”

So instead, you nod. Smile. Maybe even throw in a thoughtful “Hmm” to really sell it. Meanwhile, your brain is doing somersaults trying to figure out what "stakeholder alignment" actually means.

But here’s the truth: there’s no such thing as a stupid question. There really isn’t. The only mistake? Not asking the thing that’s bouncing around in your head like a hyperactive squirrel.

Asking questions is how we learn. How we improve. How we avoid spending three hours doing the wrong thing because we were too polite (or too proud) to say, “Hang on a sec… what does that mean?”

What’s more, if you’ve got a question, chances are someone else is silently wondering the same thing—just less brave, or too busy pretending they understood it the first time.

And let’s not forget: those so-called “silly” questions often lead to the most interesting answers. Sometimes they uncover flaws in the logic. Other times, they make everyone else go, “Oh yeah… good point. I never thought of that.”

So no, asking doesn’t make you look daft. It makes you look curious. Engaged. Human. And honestly, a bit of a legend for being the one to speak up.

So next time you’re sat there thinking, “Should I ask this?”—yes. Yes, you should.

Worst case? You get an answer.
Best case? You save the whole room from collective confusion and walk away looking brilliant.