--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Always judge a man by his questions…" description: "\"“Always judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. It’s easy to take his words today at face value but it is often difficult when you try to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg" --- # Always judge a man by his questions rather than his… ![“Always judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. It’s easy to take his words today at face value but it is often difficult when you try to uncover how he originally arrived at that answer.” quote by Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg) > ““Always judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. It’s easy to take his words today at face value but it is often difficult when you try to uncover how he originally arrived at that answer.”” [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judging a person by the quality of their questions reveals deeper thinking than judging by their answers. **In simple terms:** Assess people by their curiosity, not just their statements. Key Takeaway Value inquiry over surface answers. Themes curiosity judgment critical thinking Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - interviews - team meetings - debates - learning environments - leadership development Key Concepts philosophy psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine curiosity from strategic questioning? - What can a person's questions tell you about their values? A Different Perspective Questions may be superficial or manipulative, so they aren't always reliable indicators. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrived Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrived-answer-1504689/) [Face value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-value/) [Judge Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-man/) [Man Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-questions-869261/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Words Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-today-287977/) ## Related quotes > [Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-by-his-answers/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-his-answers/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Voltaire: “Judge a man by his questions, not his answers.”6”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/voltaire-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-not-his-answers-6/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [Why not Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agidis234/why-not-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-by-his-answers/) [Agidis234](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agidis234/) > [“Judge a man by it's questions, rather than his answers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-marc-gaston-l-vis/judge-a-man-by-it-s-questions-rather-than-his-answers/) [Pierre-Marc-Gaston Lévis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-marc-gaston-l-vis/) > [Words today are like the shells and rope of seaweed which a child brings home glistening from the beach and which in an hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/words-today-are-like-the-shells-and-rope-of-seaweed-which-a-child/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“Whatever I do, however I find a way to live, I will tell these stories. I have spoken to every person I have encountered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/whatever-i-do-however-i-find-a-way-to-live-i-will-tell-these-stories/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Words can hurt or words can heal. How are you using your words today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-hurt-or-words-can-heal-how-are-you-using-your-words-today/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Or reading poetry. Now there was a job that should exist. To spend one’s days in the company of Blake and Dickinson, Yeats and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-d-leclaire/or-reading-poetry-now-there-was-a-job-that-should-exist-to-spend-one/) [Anne D. LeClaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-d-leclaire/) > [Speak Thou in my words today, think in my thoughts, and work in all my deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baillie/speak-thou-in-my-words-today-think-in-my-thoughts-and-work-in-all-my/) [John Baillie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baillie/) > [“Be generous with your words today. It costs you nothing, but may mean everything to someone in need of a little hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-generous-with-your-words-today-it-costs-you-nothing-but-may-mean/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The man who has many answers is often found in the theaters of information where he offers, graciously, his deep findings. While the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/the-man-who-has-many-answers-is-often-found-in-the-theaters-of/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“Oh my body, make of me a man who always questions!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/oh-my-body-make-of-me-a-man-who-always-questions/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [O my body, make of me always a man who questions!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/o-my-body-make-of-me-always-a-man-who-questions/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [“One should never ask a man questions about his personal life. He just might answer and then you, my dear, would have to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/one-should-never-ask-a-man-questions-about-his-personal-life-he-just/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) ## More by Think Maverick > [“But when you have $1 billion, that’s not your money, it is the society’s trust, the shareholders; people believe that you can spend this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/but-when-you-have-1-billion-that-s-not-your-money-it-is-the-society-s/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“A new wave is coming and jobs will be taken away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/a-new-wave-is-coming-and-jobs-will-be-taken-away/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Let the Wall Street investors curse us if they wish, we will stick to this principle…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/let-the-wall-street-investors-curse-us-if-they-wish-we-will-stick-to/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“They think that ‘I can be successful’ just because they read or heard the same thing”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/they-think-that-i-can-be-successful-just-because-they-read-or-heard/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Alipay has over 400 million registered users who transacts over 175 million times in a single day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/alipay-has-over-400-million-registered-users-who-transacts-over-175/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“by approximately 25% to 493 million. When the situation doesn’t favor you, always find a unique approach to turn things to your own advantage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/by-approximately-25-to-493-million-when-the-situation-doesn-t-favor/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“The very important thing you should have is patience.” – Jack Ma”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/the-very-important-thing-you-should-have-is-patience-jack-ma/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“When you have $1 million dollars, you’re a rich man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/when-you-have-1-million-dollars-you-re-a-rich-man/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Opportunity lies in the place where the complaints are.” – Jack Ma”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/opportunity-lies-in-the-place-where-the-complaints-are-jack-ma/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“an estimated net worth of over $35 billion, Jack is now the richest man in China, out of a population of 1.38 billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/an-estimated-net-worth-of-over-35-billion-jack-is-now-the-richest-man/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“For those of you who are able to prepare and catch up with the wave will benefit massively. But for those who fall behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/for-those-of-you-who-are-able-to-prepare-and-catch-up-with-the-wave/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Never ever compete on prices, instead compete on services and innovation.” – Jack Ma”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/never-ever-compete-on-prices-instead-compete-on-services-and/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Amazon by comparison had about 230,000 employees, and Wal-Mart boast a massive 2.3 million employed around the world with 1.5 million just in the US alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/amazon-by-comparison-had-about-230-000-employees-and-wal-mart-boast-a/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“find the right people to start with, not necessarily the best people!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/find-the-right-people-to-start-with-not-necessarily-the-best-people/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) > [“Life is so short & beautiful. Don’t be (too) serious about work. Enjoy (your) life.” – Jack Ma”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/life-is-so-short-beautiful-don-t-be-too-serious-about-work-enjoy-your/) [Think Maverick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) [Explore all 45 Think Maverick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/) ## More Face value quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york-observer-and-its-self/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“But Dag, for all of his efforts, might as well have been talking to a cat. Our parents’ generation seems neither able nor interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/but-dag-for-all-of-his-efforts-might-as-well-have-been-talking-to-a/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Our ideas of happiness, gratification, contentment, satisfaction, all demand that those feelings come from within us. If you flip that on its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/our-ideas-of-happiness-gratification-contentment-satisfaction-all/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [Brain research tells us that only twenty percent of human beings have a sense of irony, which means that eighty percent of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/brain-research-tells-us-that-only-twenty-percent-of-human-beings-have/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Fans, and people in general, look to people to take certain things on, and I'm a guy you can take at face value. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-till/fans-and-people-in-general-look-to-people-to-take-certain-things-on/) [Darren Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-till/) > [“Autonomous people assert themselves against the status quo. They don't accept the prevailing opinion just because it's the one given to them. Nothing creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brito/autonomous-people-assert-themselves-against-the-status-quo-they-don-t/) [Maria Brito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brito/) > [The main idea of making a movie is to provide entertainment. But as a director, I also say what I want to say with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/the-main-idea-of-making-a-movie-is-to-provide-entertainment-but-as-a/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I not only think but also look and study things carefully. When I travel around, I look at things carefully, make comparisons of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-not-only-think-but-also-look-and-study-things-carefully-when-i/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [People take things at face value on social media. Earnestness is the assumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/people-take-things-at-face-value-on-social-media-earnestness-is-the/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [People look at you, and they think they know you. They think they can place you in a certain category by what they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/people-look-at-you-and-they-think-they-know-you-they-think-they-can/) [Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/) > [A lot of books, if you take them at face value, they're just not gonna work as films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/a-lot-of-books-if-you-take-them-at-face-value-they-re-just-not-gonna/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Irony ruined everything Even the best exploitation movies were never meant to be 'so bad they were good'. They were not made for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/irony-ruined-everything-even-the-best-exploitation-movies-were-never/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [“An average teenager today, if he or she could time-travel back to 1950, would have had an IQ of 118. If the teenager went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/an-average-teenager-today-if-he-or-she-could-time-travel-back-to-1950/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [All you have to do is take a man at face value. Don't go into it thinking you can change them. Men aren't fixer-uppers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/all-you-have-to-do-is-take-a-man-at-face-value-don-t-go-into-it/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) [Browse all 167 Face value quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-value/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Always judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. It’s easy to take his words today at face value but it is often difficult when you try to uncover how he originally arrived at that answer.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Think Maverick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-his-answers-it-s-easy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Face value" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-his-answers-it-s-easy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/think-maverick-14917_face-value_always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rath_1739260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Always judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. It’s easy to take his words today at face value…” — Think Maverick", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Think Maverick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/think-maverick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Always judge a man by his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-his-answers-it-s-easy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/always-judge-a-man-by-his-questions-rather-than-his-answers-it-s-easy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```