Ask Yourself 'Why?'

You are taking a walk with a friend talking about how messed up the day was. As you walk by a street, a black cat quickly skittles through the road in front of you.

The friend says it's a bad omen, and asks not go through the street.

But you ask ‘Why?’ ‘Why is it a bad omen?’

They try to make up some shit about why it's a bad omen, to which you always come back asking ‘why’.

They then give up and get mad and drop the topic.

I have always liked the question of ‘Why’.

It means the other person ‘Thinks’ and is actually trying to understand something.

My mum personally hates me when I ask ‘Why’ to things she doesn't know the answers to. But that is understandable.

You don't need to know the answers to all the questions you have immediately. But not even being curious about things is not a great way to go through life I'd say.

Asking ‘Why’ is a deep thinking practice to solve problems in my opinion as you will realise things you have been trying to hide under a curtain.

Example:

Why am I not in the place I want to be at?

• It's because you're not putting in the work you need to do

  or you are underestimating what it takes.

Alright, then ‘Why am I not putting in the work?’

• Maybe because I don't want it that bad or I maybe putting the effort into something that is not in my interest.

Great! Then ‘Why do you not want it that bad? Do you want something else?’

And so on…

You see where this is going?

You can always ask a ‘Why’ to all your problems and excuses and figure out the core of what the issue is.

But there is also a point where asking ‘Why’ becomes useless and destructive.

Because you can keeping asking ‘Why” to something till the end of time. But if you never settle for an answer at some point, you are paving a path to insanity.

Learning to ask ‘Why’ genuinely with the interest to introspect your thoughts or to understand what or where someone else is coming from and ‘Why’ they are saying it can be a good way to improve as a the cognitive brain power and knowledge as a person. I think.

Just don't over do it.

Best,

Kapil.