Small children can be annoying by relentlessly asking Why? Then, the educational system often robs them of this extremely useful inclination. The one I socialized in was not the epitome of fostering curiosity. It did not kill its seeds intentionally; however, since knowing the correct answer was rewarded, pupils tended to ask fewer questions to avoid embarrassment.
Enforcing conformity against personal exploration undermines several essential skills. As Stoic philosopher Epictetus put it:
You cannot learn something you think you already know.
As a corollary: you cannot understand something you do not question. If you do not dig deep enough, you can have the knowledge (of a fact), but that will be superficial—and research should be about understanding.
Additionally, questions are the best medicine against the curse of knowledge—a concept Steven Pinker elucidates in The Sense of Style—a crime I am committing too frequently. When explaining a concept, the biggest possible mistake is assuming that the recipient has the same background knowledge as you do—which is seldom the case. If I could ask clarifying questions about research papers I cannot follow, I suspect the fog of confusion would lift considerably.
Having the courage to ask questions provides immense returns in all walks of life, not just for studies or research. The stereotyped researcher is the one in a white lab coat with childlike curiosity who never ceases to ask questions. But to confine asking questions to a single endeavor is akin to using a Swiss knife only as a bottle opener. It works perfectly, but it has much greater potential. So have questions.
It can be annoying to ask five consecutive questions in a casual conversation, but I learned the hard way that my extrapolation abilities are limited—not to mention my knowledge. Mindlessly nodding our heads can lead to misunderstandings and mistakes that are awkward to fix. Questions constitute the most simple solution one can imagine. Simple, but not easy. Especially if you happened to be primed against it. But adopting this attitude can be liberating.
When I first observed the modus operandi of a renowned scientist, it struck me how often he asked clarifying questions. It is not just about being better at asking questions but also eliminating the implicit assumption that omniscience comes with status. This observation made me wonder whether there is a connection to the humbleness of said researcher. I tend to think about mustering the courage to admit one's limits by asking questions as super-gravity boots to keep one's ego down-to-earth.
Is it clear what you need to do?