Why is it important to ask ‘why’?
We were born curious; reaching out to the world and grasping at whatever we saw. We wanted to know what the world held for us, but somewhere between trying to find out and trying to fit in, we lost our curiosity. From being children that explored, have we grown into adults who accept the world as it is presented to us? We need to reignite the sparks of our curiosity and to do that, we need to start asking questions.
How often have we resigned ourselves to what is told to us; don’t we owe it to ourselves to find out more? We need to ask questions that can reshape our lives and the world around us, to move beyond the ordinary and become extraordinary. Important questions can help us find ourselves and our beliefs while helping us make better decisions. They have the power to broaden our minds and find answers that many have chosen not to seek before. Questions give us the potential for self-awareness and self-actualization that help engage with others and the world around us in a holistic manner. To that end, asking the question ‘why’ is a powerful tool in this purpose.
We rarely ask the question ‘why’ as adults; we’ve become too used to blindly accepting what we’re told. The question ‘why’ has almost been adulted out of our system by well-intentioned parents, guardians, teachers and other care-givers, who perhaps got tired of our endless questioning and ‘why’s’. However, ‘why’ prompts us to think further, beyond our usual acceptance; it teaches us to be curious about what we can learn and mindful of what we should accept. By asking ‘why’ we move beyond the norms and the standards that we’ve been told to become used to.
Here are some benefits to asking ‘why’:
1. ‘Why’ helps us understand who we are
Why do you like scrolling through social media? Why do you enjoy watching sunsets? Why is your life given purpose by a career objective? Often the answers to these questions are not simple and straightforward, but they provide insight into who we are as individuals. It is important that we question our preferences as well as what we do; asking why we do it and why we like it can not only help us understand ourselves but also help us understand what makes us happy.
2. ‘Why’ helps us grow
If you ever feel stuck in life or question where your life is going, ask yourself why you are there at that point and why you want to change. Questioning yourself is important to change your life. Asking ‘why’ helps us understand how we want to grow and where we want to go. On a larger scale, ‘why’ can reshape our lives and has the potential to transform the way everyone lives. It helps us bring the change we want to see.
3. ‘Why’ helps us understand a purpose
Have we questioned ‘why’ children study what they are taught? Why did we study what we did in school, does all of it have meaning in our lives today? By questioning ‘why’, we have the chance to reshape education to become more relevant and help our children understand the purpose of their education.
4. ‘Why’ helps encourage honesty
Asking ‘why’ helps us confront our fears and reveal an honest answer as to why we feel the way we feel. Questioning ‘why’ can open channels to honest communication that can improve relationships. It gives us the chance to question ourselves and our assumptions. It helps us find discover ourselves, whether our choices and beliefs are our own and what we actually stand up for. Questioning ‘why’ helps pave the way for an eye-opening transformative experience.
5. ‘Why’ helps people around us question and discover what they know
Strange as it may seem, the more we ask questions, the more we inspire the people around us to question what they know and ask questions themselves. By questioning the norm, we help others move past the fear of asking ‘why’. It’s a step towards creating a change in the minds of others and helps disregard the complacency that we’ve grown used to.
Asking questions is a normal and essential part of life. Our thirst for knowledge can only be fulfilled through questioning what we know and what we don’t. Questioning ‘why’ provides the opportunity for advancement and transforming the world as we know it.
We must challenge the norm and inspire others. Life is a journey, and to embrace the change and growth that will come as we experience it, we need to ask ‘why’. Personally, I think ‘why’ is an extremely potent question and one that must remain with us from the womb to the tomb. Asking ‘why’ mindfully and constantly can bring a big change to our lives.
