I’ve seen it on TV a million times - the little annoying kid that always asks ‘why?’ to everything that’s said to him/her. And the kid is always that - annoying (or so we’re made to think). I am that kid, and I’m here to explain why I’m not only not annoying… but also why you should be like me (wow… does that sound ego-driven or what? haha). Before you roll your eyes and say “here’s another superiority complex at work”, let me explain… it’s not like that at all….
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
How?
Those are the basics. They tell you a lot.
Who killed JFK? How did he do it? What did he use to kill him? When did it happen? Where did it happen?
A lot can be learned from the answers to these questions. The answers can be neatly and categorically analyzed and regurgitated on a moment’s notice. Anyone who is curious about this event in history should know the answers. But one thing is missing from these standard questions: Why? Why did he kill JFK? Simple question… complex answer… far-reaching implications.
As far as looking at history goes, knowing the ‘why’ is, in many cases, much more important than knowing the 4W1H (who/what/when/where/how). The problem is, the ‘why’ is usually more difficult to ascertain than the 4W1H. But it’s that ‘why’ that will actually shed light on the historical event… it’s the ‘why’ that will allow us to put history to use for the present and the future. And so this is why historians typically do not stop with the 4W1H answers… they delve deeper and try to figure out just why something happened the way it did.
Science is no different. We know what magnets are, right? So magnets are attracted to or repel one another. Why? What makes them do that? Answering the ‘why’ leads to another set of 4W1H questions. Answering those new questions moves our knowledge of magnets from simple surface information to understanding. This understanding leads our knowledge to the area of use… now that we know why magnets work, how can we use them to our advantage… what can we do with them… where could magnetic fields come in handy in our society? So you see, the 4W1H answers are good to know. But it’s the ‘why’ that furthers knowledge… which leads to understanding… which leads to use.
Now apply these ideas in a much more personal way. Apply them to yourself. Who are you? What is your purpose? When do you realize this about yourself? Where are you going in life? How will you get there?
Maybe these are easy for your to answer. Maybe they’re not. I know I can’t answer any of them at this point in my life. I know my name, my age, my sex, my eye color, etc. But that doesn’t tell me who I am. I know I should have a purpose. My purpose has been school for the majority of my life thus far - but I know that’s not my ultimate purpose. I know at the age of 25 I haven’t realized any of these things yet. I know I’d like to go somewhere with my life… but where? I don’t know. And I certainly don’t know how I’m going to get there.
It’s hard for me to get the simple questions out of the way. If I can’t get the simple questions answered, how will I ever get the complex ones answered?
Magnets, in this regard, are no different than myself. To further my understanding of magnets I ask ‘why’ they are the way they are. I can do the same for myself. Why am I this way? Why do I think that? Why do I believe this and not believe that? Why do I enjoy doing one thing and abhor doing something else?
Why… why… why!
I know… I DO sound like that annoying kid from television. And I’m ok with that. No… I’m not ok with it. I’m glad I’m the annoying kid from television.
When you ask ‘why’ you are going deeper than what’s on the surface. You are not your outside. You are your inside. The only way to get to the inside (other than with a sharp knife) is to ask ‘why’. Ask yourself right now if you could answer the ‘why’ question about some of the things you believe in… some of your thoughts on current issues of debate… or about why you behave a certain way.
So I’m only going to half apologize to the people who get irritated with me for asking ‘why’. I am sorry that it bothers you. But I’m not sorry for asking and I will continue to ask ‘why’ and further my understanding not only of the world around me, but also of myself.
Now why aren’t you doing the same thing?
2 Comments
This is getting pretty scary Derick. Why am I reading a blog that is so similar to my own thinking???!!! I am also the annoying kid from television…
I think the annoying kid from television is the best way to be! Haha. Sometimes I wonder if other people think the same way… so it’s nice to know I’m not the only one!
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[...] Self-actualization is not something most of us can ever expect to achieve. Maslow himself said that very few people, if any, will ever actually achieve this state. But none the less, it’s something that we are constantly seeking, whether consciously or not. Phrases like “know thyself” and “to thine own self be true” can be clumped together with SA because they all focus on the individual exploring self… spending time inside… figuring out who and what we are to the deepest possible extent. Most people don’t do this. In fact, many people, particularly young’ens like myself, never explore themselves in anything but the most basic of ways (and no… I don’t mean in the shower with a hand mirror… haha). For the three or so people who have read some of the other stuff I ramble on about here, you’ve noticed a lot of mention of self exploration in my writing. I truly believe that one must get inside and find out what makes the clock keep ticking on a personal level before any hope of figuring out the rest is possible. I’ll quote an older post of mine here, dated 12/11/04: [...]