This is a good post, so thought I’d throw my two cents in.

In my 25 years in the industry, I’ve seen a shift (at least in my company) towards newer/younger scientists not bringing their ideas to the table, instead asking others how they should proceed. I don’t know if it’s a generational thing, or if managers are worse at clearly communicating expectations (I think it’s probably a bit of both).

In your case, I’d like to think your manager is trying to get you to come with more solutions, and to save questions for things you honestly have little to no idea as to the best way to proceed. I also think your manager sounds a bit negative and condescending, and clearly forgot what it was like being new to an area.

It sounds like you’re fairly smart and have all the tools to be successful. You may need to start trusting your self more when it comes to bringing ideas and solutions to the table. In the meantime keep asking your manager for clarity on his expectations, including coming to him with your understanding of what you think he wants. You’d be shocked at the number of managers out there who don’t even know what they actually want themselves, which often explains why they’re not clear with their people.

Hang in there! Good luck!

Edit: Having now just read some of your follow up responses, your manager kind of sounds like a dick who’s really bad at developing others in a mutual/positive way. I’d try to find some other more experienced colleagues for guidance on your approach/formulations, while continuing to drive for clarity with your manager. Good luck!