So What

So What?

Or, as the Thais say….. Then what?

This is a common phrase used in response to a seemingly irrelevant, uninteresting, or inconsequential statement. But is it always only that? Asked in the right way it can actually give you some interesting new perspectives.

You outline a specific scenario with things being put together in such a way that you believe will give you the result that you want. Then you get asked “Then what?” and you say “Huh?”. You thought that it was all so clear, but you are now forced to think again. Was there something that you missed? Is there a flaw in the plan? Ah.. maybe. All you can do is to go over the whole thing again but try to see it from another persons point of view, and so often you do come up with many things that you had never thought of before. Gererally this comes from an enthusiasm for the idea that only you had so you were viewing it only from your own perspective and it all seems so perfect. This is because we are often so easily blinded by our own thoughts of what is a good thing.

When there is a decision to make, then it is a simple matter to just project forward to easily predict the outcome, or the likely scenario for this way or that. If you just say “then what?” it will suddenly become quite clear or at least lead you to think more about it.