How does asking questions help create closer relationships?

If you're looking to create better relationships, platonic or romantic, being a good listener and asking more questions will be essential and will help you build a foundation for a genuine relationship. 

Try and ask questions about things you are genuinely curious about and that can't be answered with a simple yes or no to invite the other person to share more openly. Also, try and suspend judgement to let the conversations flow and listen to the other person - don't distract yourself with other things.

Questions will help you:

• Create a better understanding of others and their perspectives
• Build more trust and openness
• Make decisions based on information, not assumptions
• Reduce levels of conflict
• Find common interests and whether you are compatible with the other person to create a long-lasting relationship
• Make you more liked
• Learn new things

Adding to that, research by Harvard Scientists suggests that asking more questions (especially follow-up questions) is linked to increased liking. Asking more follow-up questions signals the other person that you are listening, interested and that you care, which will better the conversation and strengthen or build up your relationship with them. Humans like talking about themselves, so asking questions helps others talk about themselves and will make you seem like a great conversationalist.  Obviously, asking questions helps build up new relationships, as it helps to learn more about the other person and what you have in common and creates more understanding, however this also pertains to existing relationships. 

Are you asking enough questions?