The Five Whys is a fantastic method to use to get to the core of a person’s beliefs and motivations. Sure, you may feel like a four-year-old asking “why” every time a person answers your previous question, but if you stick with it, and give the person you’re interviewing the time, space, and permission to really go deep, you’re likely to wind up with a few key insights. You’ll use this method while you’re conducting an Interview and start with really broad questions like “Do you save much money?” or “How was your harvest this year?” Then, by asking why five times you’ll get to some essential answers to complicated problems. This can be a great method to use if you’re trying to get at the human and emotional roots of a problem.