Reluctance to ask stupid questions comes from a fear of rejection. I studied physics in undergrad and I found it pretty difficult, but wanted to be a part of th

Reluctance to ask stupid questions comes from a fear of rejection. I studied physics in undergrad and I found it pretty difficult, but wanted to be a part of the group of smart physics kids. It left me with a pretty strong fear of looking stupid and a reluctance to speak up in class when I didn’t understand. Not minding if you might sound stupid comes from a place of security in your life. If you already have a solid in-group, then the fear of being rejected by some other group starts to go away and you feel more comfortable risking looking dumb in front of people. I think it comes from a deep instinct to find allies and show that you’ll be a valuable member of a group, or at least not a liability.