The Power of Asking Questions
by
Melvin Hathorn


Joe runs a small business. He depends heavily on UPS deliveries for his supplies. The recent strike by UPS workers has almost driven his business under. Susan lost her job because her company downsized in an effort to stay competitive in a global market.
Have you ever been victimized by someone else's decision? A decision that affected your life and over which you had no control? Your company is bought out. The Postal Service announces a 2 cent increase. Your supermarket discontinues your favorite cookie. An airline drops a flight schedule that is critically important to you. All of these decisions ranging from the crucial to the trivial create feelings of powerlessness, anger and frustration.

In our society, it's common to have others' choices interfere with our lives and our plans. Even more painful than the disruption of carefully laid plans, is the sense of powerlessness and the loss of control we feel. Yet there is a way of regaining our power. It is easy and yet difficult to do. We can regain our power by asking questions. There is a metaphor that shows the power of asking questions. It is the legend of the quest for the Holy Grail.

In this legend, Perceval arrives at the Fisher King's castle. The land around the castle is a wasteland. The water is foul, the cattle are thin and few; the fields are barren; and the trees bear no fruit. Perceval meets the dying Fisher King and during his stay sees many wonderful things including the Grail. Yet Perceval says nothing. His teachers and family had trained him to never ask questions. The next morning the castle disappears.

After many adventures, Perceval again returns to the castle. This time he has learned from his experiences. He asks two questions of the Fisher King: "What ails you?" and "Whom does the Grail serve?" Immediately the King is healed and the land is restored.
Like the society of Perceval's time, our land is sick and troubled. Although the media would have you believe otherwise, we live in a country where the median wage dropped from $24,007 to $22,562 over the last twenty years. The income of the top five percent gained 54.1 percent while the bottom twenty percent only gained 1.5 percent. Corporations routinely send our jobs overseas. Our personal information is spread around worldwide databases without our knowledge or consent.

I believe that the story of the Grail holds a message for us as we close the twentieth century. Not only does the legend suggest that asking questions can heal our land, but it even suggests the kinds of questions to ask. The modern version of the question: What ails you? could be; "What is so wrong that you need that campaign contribution from XYZ Corporation?" "Please explain why you need a 2 cent increase in the price of stamps." The modern version of Who does the Grail serve? could be "Whose needs are being met by changing that flight schedule The customer's or the company's?". Or, "What is the purpose of XYZ corporation's new policy on hiring?"

We, like Perceval, have been warned against asking questions. Our schools, jobs and society have trained us well to accept things the way they are. They tell us that nothing will change and it's useless to get a lot of people mad at you. You might get fired.
Our bosses don't like questions; politicos don't like questions; our church leaders don't like questions and the questioner is usually seen as a troublemaker. Asking questions at stockholder meetings, political conventions, and business meetings to name a few can bring ridicule, embarrassment or trouble.

Although asking questions can create many problems, it is an act of power. The right question at the right time can be the beginning of a massive wave or support for change. Asking questions can cleanse and heal the land.