Questionning as a lever for identity construction

Other extract from my book ...

Just like orientation as a whole, questioning contributes to identity construction, not by fixing certain elements mentioned, but by making possible a clearer, more coherent, evolving and self-owned narrative. It is not about discovering a hidden self, but about elaborating a version of oneself that is representative of one's own reality, consistent enough to allow action, and flexible enough to remain open to evolution, both present and future.

Work in narrative psychology (Bruner, 1991; McAdams, 1993) has shown to what extent our identity narratives are structured around the questions we ask ourselves, or that we have been helped to ask. In a balanced orientation, the most fruitful questions are often those that escape immediate and primary utility: “what would make you not regret your choice, even if it failed?”, “what part of you would have remained unsatisfied if you hadn't tried this?”, “what perspective would you like to have on your journey in ten years?”. 

These questions do not have right answers, but they shift reference points, they force different thinking — about the meaning of life for the individual — and it is precisely this shift that allows identity elaboration to take place in an active relationship with uncertainty, but especially in relation to the reality of the world.

Questioning is therefore neither a simple interview method nor a tool of indirect guidance. It is a deeply political, psychological, and developmental act in that it engages a certain conception of the individual, of evolution, of support, and of choice. It can reinforce dependence or activate autonomy, flatter or confront, confirm stereotypes or deconstruct them. It embodies that subtle point of articulation where posture, discourse, and professional ethics meet. Where everything comes together, and where everything implies.