The kid who asks the “dumb” question is usually saving six other kids from asking it.

Confusion in a room is almost never isolated. When something is unclear to you, the odds are strong that several people nearby are in the same position, each waiting for someone else to admit it first. Asking looks like exposure and functions as a service. One person takes a small risk and everybody else collects the benefit.

Be that person once this week. Ask the plain question without dressing it up as a clever one. Watch the faces around you and count how many were waiting on it.