1 min read

Quick Question

Quick questions are the biggest Trojan horse of the 21st century.
Quick Question

Hey, quick question, can you do this thing for me?

You've definitely heard this before.

Asking, "hey, quick question, how do you do X" or "hey, can you take a quick look at this for me?" are never quick. Quick questions aren't quick, they're just pushing the burden onto you while making asking the question easier on the asker.  

When people usually ask a "quick question" it appears they don't want a "quick answer" they just want to transfer the burden of it to you. That monkey doesn't blong to you!

I've gotten caught in this trap, too. They say you're a product of those around you, and if many people around you are asking "quick questions" it's hard not to do the same, even without conscious thought.

If the reply to a "quick question" isn't yes or no, then it's by no means quick. Even if it is a yes or no reply, the thought and energy that go into answering that question is always greater than the loss of burden from the asker.

Ask slow questions. Long questions. Questions with more detail. Just ask questions. No need to send a Trojan horse question disguised as "quick" or easy.

Quick questions are never quick, they shift the burden from the asker to the asked, and I think they should be avoided.