dumb question!

Have you ever wondered why sometimes people ask dumb questions?

I have not really given much importance to analyzing whether a question is dumb or stupid until I read an article about it and realized then that, indeed, people I come in contact with could sometimes ask the dumbest questions.

Last night, just as I was about to close my computer, the phone suddenly rang and someone from the other end of the line asks, "gising ka pa?" ("Are you still awake?") Huh...you think I would still be answering the phone if I was asleep?!

Again, just recently, a friend and I were about to enter the movie house, when some acquaintance saw me and asked, "manonood ba kayo?" ("are you going to watch a movie?"). I wonder if holding a ticket, popcorn and soda wasn't obvious enough for anyone to see that we were going to watch a movie! It was a good thing my friend was with me otherwise I would have been tempted to blurt out, "of course not!...we're going in to order some pizza!"

...And I remember another instance where my niece and I were walking and someone accidentally steps on her toes and asks, "Ay sorry! masakit ba?" ("sorry! does it hurt?") Surely, it is painful when someone steps on one's toes! But my niece just smiled and uttered no, she was fine but wouldn't it have been nice to have answered, "How about if I step on your toes and see if it hurts?"

People may not be aware of how dumb their questions are or some may simply not know how to ask the question. But as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, still, a dumb question deserves a polite answer!

There have been times that I have been tempted to answer otherwise or just totally ignore the person but thanks to willpower and being taught early on to be polite, the sarcastic and not so nice comments that I have in my mind often do not leave my mouth! And besides, who knows, NO... I'm certain, I have unconsciously asked some dumb questions,too!