Comments on: Closed-ended problems and open-ended problems

By: Juan

Juan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:11:14 +0000

Ya, I think that it all comes down to the question of do we really think. I mean lots of people are able to process information and do simple equations but how many people actually step back and think about the how they perceive the questions? I think those that do, they are the ones who can truly deal with those unknown unknowns that are so difficult to discover, quantify, and deal with.

By: Mrs. Money

Mrs. Money — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:57:20 +0000

Thanks so much for the link!

I love when you get the email forwards that have a question, followed by 90% of kindergartners understood this and it’s something obvious.

By: An Open Questioning Mind « Everchanging Perspective

An Open Questioning Mind « Everchanging Perspective — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:56:37 +0000

[...] first blog is Early Retirement Extreme and the article is “Closed-ended problems and open-ended problems”. It’s about asking and answering questions and leads one to recognize that how we ask the [...]

By: Simple in France

Simple in France — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:34:45 +0000

I think that figuring out which questions are the most interesting and meaningful and then being able to look for answers in a self-directed way and/or hold discussions on a topic with ones peers is probably one of the best skills anyone could have. . . As a teacher, I used to try to make sure that my students got a taste of that at some point–no matter what subject I happened to be teaching. Part of that process involved teaching the concept of the open-ended and closed-ended question to students.

It’s interesting to note that you actually have to spend some time on this before everyone ‘gets’ the difference.

As for which kind of question is better–I don’t think either is. As long as you know when to use them appropriately.

By: Mo

Mo — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:53:44 +0000

“…people who don’t know anything and so they like to ask lots of questions…”

I certainly encounter this a lot. One of my favorite ways to deal with this, if the question is from a subordinate, is to ask the same question back to him/her. e.g. “What setting should this be on?”, my response: “You tell me, what setting SHOULD this be on?”

I accept that there is a very high probability that most of my subordinates hate me.

By: HSpencer

HSpencer — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:45:06 +0000

The closed-ended problem solver, or at least one being faced with some immediate problem, will naturally gravitate to the accepted solution. Example:

“I don’t have enough money to make ends meet”. This person sees that “making more money” is the only answer. An open ended person will examine the need for the “ends” they are trying to make meet, and see if some can be eliminated, thus reducing the need for more funds instead of making more funds. This is a simple example, but the principal is clear. If the need for funds can be reduced, the action taken solves the problem, in lieu of crashing forward with more effort, such as a second job, asking for a raise, or other increase of funds.
Any problem can be mind-mapped. Write it on paper, and then read and re-read it as you scribble any and all possible solutions, both good and bad. Do not accept the first thought that comes in your mind. “What else can I do about this?”

By: free at last

free at last — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:49:37 +0000

jacob, could you elaborate on this post? i know that there is some wisdom here related to life, investing, how we all relate to each other, etc., but i have a feeling that i am missing some of the larger ideas.