Thursday, November 01, 2007

Nature of Questions

In English questions are segregated into who, when, where, how, what, which and why. There may be others, but they would be derivatives (negatives, plurals, pronouns, etc...) of these basic forms. The questions that arise in our minds (framed in which ever language) also fall into one of the above categories. If you notice, all of the above except "why" seek evidence. The answers to those questions lie in this physical world. It is there to be dug out by any body with enough perseverance and motivation.

The "why" alone fails to find an answer in physical evidence. The "why" therefore is very trouble some. Unlike other questions, the "why" does not have a single right answer. Some times, it only has answers without a right-wrong classification. There may be "why"s that have no answers (should I say no answers that we know of?).

The "why"s fall into 2 categories... its not the question that differentiates them, but the answers. Answers to one set of the questions lie deep inside our own mind. We can find them, if we introspect enough. The answers to the other set lies outside of us... (perhaps in another person's mind?). Such quests are bound to come back empty handed. The wise ones say that those answers can be sought by expanding one's consciousness to the entire universe (pretty tough thing to do).

For fear of not finding an answer (and thus losing sleep over it), some (or most) of us kill the "why" questions in our mind. We amuse ourselves by answering whole lot of "How"s and "What"s and call them discoveries or inventions.

World would be much better if every one were to ask more "why"s and seek their answers, help others to resolve their "why"s too. Wouldn't it?

Typical Whys?

(first category)
Why am I so happy?
Why do I get angry?
Why do I work?
Why do I like her?
Why did I just lie?
(second category)
Why is there misery in this world?
Why do people fight?
Why does a perfect theoretical solution (of love) not work?

The mother of all Whys?
Why do we exist?

4 comments:

glutenfreewife said...

"why do i like her??" c'mon.. you cant find an answer to that no matter how much you think about it...

Anonymous said...

'World would much better of every one ask more "why"s and find answers to them..' Amen to that with regard to the second category of Whys.

However , for the forst category, it seems fine to 'kill the why questions in our mind', and dwell within our sensible limits.

Why am I happy? ..Why do I like her?..Do we need to ponder on these atall? In some cases, Ignorance is bliss, no?

Srikanth said...

Why is this blog so nice?

Divyank Rastogi said...

Search within and you wont need to ask 'Why' to the rest of the world.

Think; and think again of your actions, so that the remorse of 'Why' does not strike you in the aftermath.

Have faith, for no one but HIM alone can have the right answer to your 'WHY'..??

:D