"Every deflection is a small tax." - Ken Woodward
"Every deflection is a small tax." - Ken Woodward
In this solo episode of Curated Questions, Ken Woodward explores the hidden cost of defended answers and the quiet exhaustion that comes from maintaining stories that no longer fit. Drawing on conversations with Kevin Kelly and Phil Liebman, he examines the difference between exploitation and exploration, and why deep questioning is inherently inefficient.
Through metaphors of strip mining, sinkholes, and live wires, Ken shows how cultures and individuals enforce authorized stopping points that keep conversations at the surface. A personal story about a pivotal career decision illustrates how a single honest answer can release stored energy and create unexpected freedom.
The alchemy of questions is not about uncovering better information. It is about creating conditions where truth costs less than performance. When we stay past discomfort and refuse to stop too soon, something shifts. The energy returns. That return is liberation.
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Episode Notes
00:00 Every Deflection Is A Small Tax.
02:20 The Cost of the Surface
04:18 The Photography Principle and the Abundance Prerequisite
08:32 The Stratigraphy and the Sinkhole
11:45 The Live Wire
14:40 The Story
18:39 The Alchemist's Promise
20:45 Closing Gratitude
Resources Mentioned