Join us on a journey of discovery as we delve into the concept of the naïve inquirer.

Nau mai, haere mai - welcome to our new guests. It was great to have you with us. This week, we embarked on a somewhat intrepid journey into the unknown. It was intrepid in that some had not heard the term naïve inquirer before. Through shared conversation, we started bringing to life the notion of a naïve inquirer and what it means for us as individuals, sharing a cuppa.

Our conversation sparked fascinating insights and, once again, shed light on the different ways we can be thinking about the same topic. 

We created many threads, and initially talked about the role of a naïve inquirer being valuable because it can help in challenging the assumptions and shared understandings within a group.

One participant shared, 'You think you have a shared understanding, then someone comes along and asks you to explain what you mean by that [by asking why]...There's actually a questioning technique called The Five Why's that when someone says something, you do another why, and then another... I thought it sounded pretty dumb at first...but it was really powerful, for really complex issues'. This is related to countering groupthink and in being able to uncover deeper truths or untapped understanding.

One of us shared the idea of a beginner's mind, a state of curiosity unburdened by preconceived knowledge. While the beginner's mind and the naïve inquirer were seen as conceptually similar, there were some nuanced differences. Some viewed the naïve inquirer as a role within an organisation, embodying the mindset of questioning and seeking clarification.

Others associated the beginner's mind with the act of presenting information in a way that fosters understanding for learners, particularly e.g. when teaching or preparing teaching materials. This challenged one (or maybe more) of us who explained, ‘there's a role in both of those areas, for being naive and [or] acquiring, but one of them is about getting info and the other one is about giving it'.

Another thread took us down the pathway of how the naïve inquirer is able to disrupt power dynamics within groups. Through the act of refraining from providing immediate answers, facilitators (or those being in the role of the Naive Inquirer) encourage different knowledge and perspectives to be unleashed. This approach both empowers individuals and ensures a diverse range of voices is heard and valued. This action offers a way for more comprehension and understanding.

We talked about naïve inquiry in relation to resilience and personal growth. One participant highlighted the connection between the naïve inquirer and a growth mindset, stating, 'I think the naïve inquirer is a part of that growth mindset because you never assume you know everything... asking questions and wanting to know more is something that is essential to our well-being.'

Reflections were offered about why the role was important in bridging divides between people and cultures, "' think when I saw that term, naïve inquirer, I was thinking... it's our obligation as humans to try and understand another human so that we don't fall into these traps [e.g. conflicts].' Another explained, 'Going back to that naïve mindset could dissolve so much more misunderstandings, conflicts... instead of making assumptions about people.'

We heard the need to understand and respect different world-views and cultural practices, as one of us offered a Te Ao Māori [Māori world-view] perspective: 'Maybe naïve inquiry would be to do a little bit of research about the whenua-land you're standing on or that you're presenting to, finding out who mana whenua [traditional custodians of the land] are, understanding that tikanga and kawa [lore, rules, process, ways of knowing and doing] of the region, so that you're honouring them when you're leading hui-meetings or gatherings in those spaces.'

We seemed to agree on the notion of rekindling the state of wonder, and embracing the dimensions of the naïve inquirer within ourselves, thus being able to enrich our interactions and to cultivate more empathy.

As we conclude this reflection, we leave you with the words of one participant: 'I remember introducing my kids to nature, then complete wonder, you know, absolute awe and wonder, and they're not trying to find an answer.' May we all approach our discussions and inquiries with the same openness, curiosity, and wonder.

Mauriora, 
The Walk Together Team