Why Ask Why
In an effort to "never lose perspective," and in essence, realize that I am always in fact out of perspective, I thought I would share why it is important to ask the question: "why?"
Spoiler: It's intelligence, stupid.
David Foster Wallace is one of personal heros, and also a reminder that even our heros - no, especially our heros - can have major, and tragic, flaws. His Kenyon graduation speech gave me the first glimpse into my personal motto, and it is that speech again that has reminded me that asking "why?" is the single most intelligent choice you can make throughout your day.
https://youtu.be/GbAH5DAs1oU?si=v_UKhaQKStl9NqA0
After watching the interpretive movie of DFW's "This is Water," I just internalized his point about "intelligence" being equivalent to awareness and the choices we make based on the options we have to consider as "truths" for ourselves and others in this big scary world. The intelligent thing is to consider that your "truth" may not be the same as my "truth," and that we have a choice to accept our mere interpretations of our surroundings as "truths" without further questioning. That is why you must always ask "why?"
The real "truth" is that there is no "truth," or at least in the sense that many of us think. It's usually based on consensus, selfishness, or stubbornness (the latter two often being related). However, the point is that we are often prone to misunderstanding and misinterpreting everything that goes on around us. It's also important to remember that we are just as likely to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Don't take "truths" at face value, but dig deeper instead.
Probe for a reason to everything. Become aware, and let knowledge flow into you. Notice how every interpretation has a different consequence, but not just for how life plays out; it can make a difference for your overall happiness and sanity. Happiness is a reflection of our interpretation of events in our lives, and in that interpretation, you have a choice of which you will accept as the "truth."
It's not always easy to ask "why?" though. In fact, you don't want it to become one of DFW's default settings, or else it will become banal. Instead, it should be enlightening, so you'll need to get creative with the way you think about asking "why?"
- "Why?" - that's a dead giveaway
- "What is happening?" - great for event related questioning and cause and effect situations
- "Who else is involved?" - in case you're worried that someone is pinned as a scapegoat
- "Where else?" - for those moments when you need to explore precedents in other locations or situations
- "When?" - for challenging the timing of something
- "How is it going?" - never assume you can read a book by it's cover
If these seem simple to you, then you're right, but that's never the case in the moment. You want to come prepared so that you don't fall into default thinking and possibly pessimism. Remember, you have a choice, just as you have a choice to ignore my advice.
How intelligent are you?