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My son’s questions make me reconsider my preference for being interviewed
🇮🇪 Ireland /Culture & Society

My son’s questions make me reconsider my preference for being interviewed

From Irish Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • The author prefers being interviewed to interviewing, finding it less work.
  • His seven-year-old son's constant stream of complex and imaginative questions has prompted reflection on his own childhood.
  • The author acknowledges his own desire for the spotlight as a factor in his preference for being interviewed.

Séamas O’Reilly finds the act of being interviewed preferable to conducting interviews, a stance that has sparked debate among readers and fellow writers. While some agree, others argue that being interviewed places a greater spotlight on the subject, making it more stressful than interviewing, where the interviewer can remain in the background. O'Reilly admits his enjoyment of the interview spotlight might stem from a personal need for attention.

Would you rather have no stomach or no bum?

— SonA sample question posed by the author's son during a 15-minute period.

This week, however, O'Reilly was reminded of another reason he handles tough questions well: his seven-year-old son. With mid-term break, his son has had "unfettered access" to his father's ear, bombarding him with an endless variety of questions. O'Reilly found himself jotting down queries that ranged from the philosophical to the absurd, realizing that even a partial list would exceed the column's word count.

What was the first thing that happened in history?

— SonA sample question posed by the author's son during a 15-minute period.

In a mere 15-minute span, his son posed questions such as, "What's the saddest thing you've ever seen?" "Would you rather have no stomach or no bum?" "What was the first thing that happened in history?" and "What's the speed of smell?" O'Reilly, who has always committed to answering his son's questions, sees parenting as a form of time travel, noting that his son's relentless curiosity mirrors his own childhood behavior. His own childhood interrogations, he recalls, were often met with dismissal.

What’s the speed of smell?

— SonA sample question posed by the author's son during a 15-minute period.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Irish Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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