Questions

Questions

We would often find that having many questions and few answers is an undesirable state. This is good since it drives us to find answers but also bad since it encourages us to ask less questions to have a smaller problem to begin with... In my opinion, we are far better off if we acknowledge that there will always be far more questions around than answers, and that there is nothing wrong with that since questions are wonderful.

Questions allow seeing the familiar in a new light and open the door to new discoveries. Without questions, our world would be boring and dull and deprived of wonder.

Just ask yourself: What do I see? What do I hear? What do I smell? What do I taste? and What do I feel? and notice how much richer the world suddenly becomes.

Questions are without limit. There is an infinite number of possible questions. If you are stuck, there are countless questions which may show the way forward.

If you are feeling depressed, you can ask yourself: Why do I feel so bad? Why can't I enjoy life like others? What is the difference between being happy and depressed? What stops me from feeling better? What can I do to feel better?

Most importantly, though, questions are essential for reaching enlightenment. Many religions do not encourage to question some fundamental doctrine; that is wrong (see The Faith to Doubt by Stephen Batchelor for an interesting discussion on this). Only by questioning fundamentals can we achieve wisdom. Enlightenment is to find balance and peace between your thoughts and the world. You cannot find this balance if you haven't asked yourself some deep questions and found your very own answers to them.

Some of these are: Why do I exist? How can I give meaning to my life? How was the world created? How will it end?

Usually we don’t think of questions as something special. We think that questions arise by themselves and that is our job then to find the answers. This point of view takes the magic of questions away from us. The magic of questions is that we can conceive them without limitations. If we learn to ask questions without fear, if we learn to embrace them and conceive and seek them, our lives will be all the richer for it.

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