Why Question?
Will what works for one person work for another? How come some people say the best way to heal your body is to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, while others swear by eating mostly red meats? If one fitness guru says cutting and bulking is the best way to get in shape quickly but another says you need to balance your diet and workout routine, and eat only whole foods to see results, who do you believe? Somewhere along the line, most of us stopped questioning what we heard and started simply believing it.
Some of these questions can be answered. Why does one diet work for one person and an opposite one works better for another? Everyone is different, so different things will work for different people, depending on their body type. This applies to the mind as well. Certain types of therapy, for example, will work better for one type of person whereas a different one will work better for others. But beyond the recognition that each individual is unique and therefore may not have the same experience as another, most questions do not have a definite right or wrong, yes or no answer.
How This Applies Both Internally and Externally
Arguably one of the best things you can do for your health, whether that be physical, mental, spiritual, the health of your relationships, etc, is to question. Something that worked for a friend didn’t work for you? Why? What’s something different that may work better for you? Why would it be better?
If someone has a different belief than you, what would happen if instead of telling them why they’re wrong and you’re right, you asked them why they hold that belief in the first place? Can you learn more from someone who’s different from you than someone who is similar to you?
Asking questions shouldn’t just be reserved for other people, asking yourself questions can be just as beneficial. Turning curiosity inwards allows you to look deeper within yourself. If you catch yourself feeling sad, angry, or jealous, ask why. Why are you feeling that way? Is there something deeper behind that feeling? What is the feeling actually trying to tell you? Oftentimes, our feelings are much deeper than what we see at face value.
Looking Back
We live in a society that discourages questioning. In school we’re taught that 2+2=4. We read history books written from the point of view of the winner. The system tells us that conformity equals success and anything else is “troubled” behaviour. This is not to say that we shouldn’t be grateful for having access to education; it’s a gift that many do not have. But with that said, school doesn’t teach us how to listen to our bodies or give ourselves rest when we need it. School doesn’t teach us how to become financially free or how to live in alignment with ourselves. It doesn’t give us the knowledge that our ancestors were born with. The resulting question: why? Why are we not taught these things? How can we learn them if even our parents and grandparents were not taught? What else was left out of our education?
Is it even important for us to learn the same things that our ancestors knew or has society evolved enough to the point that we no longer need that knowledge? Is knowing the ins and out of a computer more important now than knowing how to forage for food in the woods? Does wanting to revert back to a life of living off the earth mean we’re more spiritually awakened and connected to our ancestors or does it mean we reject adaptation? Is there a balance between the two? Can we learn how to live in connection with the earth and the way humans were created to live while also adapting to modern times and learning to grow?
Why There’s No Definite Answer
Where would society be if we all shared the same opinions and agreed on everything? We certainly wouldn’t be as evolved as a species as we are today. Would we still believe that the earth is flat? Would we learn anything new if no one ever questioned the validity of our beliefs, or whether there’s more to them?
We need differing opinions to learn and grow, and we need to be open to hearing those opinions. Yet more now than ever, humans are polarized. Why? Can one person truly believe that they are 100% right and the other side 100% wrong? Or is it not a question of conviction but rather of pride and ego?
As Aristotle said, “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know”. When you ask one question and receive an answer, does it not often spark even more questions?
Why Does It Matter?
Constantly questioning and challenging the status quo is what allows you to learn and grow. That push is something your mind, body, and soul needs consistently. Learning to question what you know and be open to hearing opinions that differ from yours is both a powerful and rewarding shift.
