I preach this to my children as well. It makes us all better and helps build confidence in the directions that we choose. Just kidding; very much in agreement withb the thought process though. Focuses critical thought on the real concerns and should result in better value in the end.
The question is a tool. Applied asked at thoughtful times, not haphazard, tapers requirements and, frankly, exposes things probably put in motion for no good reason or explanation; that which adds no value and needs to drop. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account.
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I once heard a story explaining what it is to be a philosopher. Imagine you live your life from birth with your tribe within a large cabin. This cabin and the land around it provides you with all you need to be content and in some ways happy: sustenance, warmth and mild entertainment.
Beyond the cabin gardens lies an empty wasteland, devoid of any allure. Living in your cabin you would find no reason to leave it or your immediate surroundings, yet a few might through curiosity or some other aspect of the human condition find reason to venture forth into the unknown, despite the surface evidence suggesting that there is no worth in doing so.
It is these few who would by their perseverance breach the wasteland to find that beyond it lies a lush landscape, full of life in all its grandeur, unparalleled by the simplistic stimulation previously available at the cabin. In this analogy, the few who venture out are the philosophers, the thinkers, the ones who question what it is not obvious to question.
In fact, even in this ignorance most are capable of understanding the machinations around them: that fire is warm, and that the warmth comes from burning logs.
My first reaction was to say that the most important question is Why? But I think that it would be sacrilege to let the siren of simplicity sequester us in her sanctuary sans struggle, especially when an equally interesting interrogative can be found in How?
In mathematics you can understand how to find an integral without understanding why it works, or you can understand why an integral works yet have absolutely no clue how to solve one. This dichotomy can be elaborated on endlessly, but by no means is it an absolute separation.
Like some horrible Hegelian monstrosity, they work together. Learning how something works often leads to an understanding of why it works, and vice versa. Aristotle listed four of those bad boys, and the different types of causes are still the subject of lively debate at least in my social circle.
Yet I have to pick the most important question. This has to be Why? When I was young, my father handed me a box of freshly-made chocolate chip cookies and told me that I could have one.
And they come in handy here, too. My candidate for the most important question is: What counts as a good reason? But let me give a reason. Philosophy rightly prides itself on its reason-giving credentials, but philosophers are not the only ones who like being reasonable. We all do! However, some of our reasons are better than others. In Britain today this would not only be shocking, it would be illegal.
In other words, it is now legally acknowledged that this is a very bad reason for denying someone a job. What once counted as a good reason is now widely known as a bad reason. The principle of equality, which says that we should treat people the same regardless of irrelevant attributes such as skin colour, is largely responsible for this change. Although a principle is not a fact, strong principles are not arbitrary reasons. One mark of a good reason is how widely it is shared by fellow reasoners.
Giving reasons is one thing, having them accepted quite another. Facts matter in deciding what counts as a good reason. A greater scientific understanding of what it means to be human has, for example, strengthened arguments against discrimination.
Occasionally, facts can be set aside for good reasons. That Henry V was in fact white is not a good enough reason to deny the role to a black actor. This is not, of course, a licence to ignore all facts about King Henry, if one values truthfulness. Disvaluing a certain amount of truth for dramatic purposes can sometimes be a good idea, but generally speaking, if we want to explain, say, the diversity of life on Earth, we should pay attention to the body of evidence amassed.
In that case, where once there were few good reasons backing a naturalistic account, and many scriptural reasons in favour of a creationist account, today the distribution of good reasons has reversed. I think to myself. If you like my writing you can subscribe to my StoryHealing newsletter where I send you fortnightly tips and inspiration on Storytelling and how to be a happier human.
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We are the average of the people closest to us. Are your closest friends a reflection of your value system and your goals for your life? How are you contributing, even in a small way, to making life better for others?
How are you living your life in such a way that it is not all about your own personal gain? Service to others is the easiest way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, which is directly linked to happiness. Is there someone in your life you have wronged? If yes, then that is an open wound for both parties. Can you step forward to apologize and to find closure before you turn the calendar? Who in your life deserves your appreciation?
If someone has measurably impacted your life in a positive way, it is a gift to both of you to share your gratefulness.
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