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Question...(Tell me what you think about me)
Every Tuesday, The Productive Disruptive delivers storytelling science, message makeovers, cultural commentary, and a little rebellious hope for anyone still stubborn enough to believe communication can change the world.
Dorian Johnson
June 24, 2025
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Most public health messages speak at people.
But what if we spoke with them?
We miss moments to deepen engagement because we forget that stories aren’t just meant to inform, they are also meant to reflect.
Open-ended questions transform passive readers into active participants, and that participation can foster empathy, clarity, and even advocacy.
They let people see themselves in the story, not just the statistics.
They turn problems into shared experiences.
They invite meaning-making.
And when people are invited to make meaning, they’re more likely to care and act.
Servin’ up some cognitive neuroscience!
🧠 Story Science Side Note: Open-ended questions activate the default mode network, the part of the brain that handles self-reflection and story comprehension.
They also light up the brain’s mental simulation system, which means when we hear a good question, our brain starts imagining ourselves in the scenario..
The more we feel a story, the more we retain it.
Let’s say you’re telling a story about a community with limited access to fresh food.
You could explain the problem.
Or you could ask:
“What would you do if the only grocery store near you closed?”
“When was the last time you worried if your kid had enough to eat?”
“Who do you think gets left out when cities design food access policies?”
How might this change understanding?
Questions like these don’t just inform.
They evoke.
They make space for audiences to find themselves in the gap.
And once they’re in it, they’re more likely to help close it.
But here’s the thing:
Not all open-ended questions are created equal.
Enter: evocative questions.
These are like super-charged, open-ended questions.
Where open-ended questions ask someone to explore or expand...
Evocative questions spark insight, possibility, or a shift in perspective.
Think of it like this:
Question type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
Open-ended Question | Explores the now | How does transportation shape daily life in this community? |
Evocative Question | Opens the next | What kind of community would we have if every child could walk to a safe, well-funded school? |
In storytelling, that might sound like:
What does (insert policy) say about our system when someone has to fight just to be seen?
If nothing changes, who keeps getting left behind?
What kind of world would we create if we actually believed everyone deserves to thrive?
So next time you’re writing a story, a post, or a campaign message…
Pause.
And ask:
Am I explaining the problem,
or inviting people to step into it?
How will you know?
Drop in a question that makes people feel something.
Because when people start seeing themselves in the problem…
they might just become part of the solution.
Here’s an example. Asking a question that honors their agency and invites participation in their process
📝 Message Makeover: Built Environment, to me isn’t the most mystifying one, but I remember when I heard “Built Environment” for the first time in school, I was like “what?” So I could imagine how the lay person might grapple with this.
I go to metaphor mode for layered concepts where visuals can help.
The built environment is like the hallway of your health.
Everyone’s told to walk it.
But not everyone’s hallway looks(or feels) the same.
Some folks have well-lit, short hallways with clean floors and open doors:
a grocery store to the left, a clinic to the right, a quiet park just ahead.
Others face a hallway that’s miles long.
Dimly lit.
With cracked floors, broken elevators, loud traffic outside, multiple hazards, and every useful door bolted shut, or too far away.
Some people walk toward opportunity.
Others are dodging harm just to get through the day.
Very different journeys.
It’s how place becomes health.
Everyone’s told to get their 10,000 steps(actually a marketing campaign, not something evidence-based btw)
But no one asks: What are you stepping around?
Because your ZIP code shapes your steps more than your Fitbit does.
🛠️ The PHacilitator’s Corner:
Try this in your next piece of content:
Replace one statement with a question.
For example, instead of saying, “Many people with disabilities face barriers accessing care,” try:
“What does it say about our system when someone has to fight just to be seen?”
What do you think might shift?
Catch you on the flipside!