The Most Important Question In The World!

From a young age we ask a LOT of questions. It’s that curiosity that makes us human, allowing us to form large parts of who we are and what we know. Even if we don’t verbalise them, we’re still asking questions every time we seek out new information, usually now by TV or on the internet. 

‘What happened today in parliament, Who’s dating who in the celebrity world nowadays, how does that thing work, when’s the next time we’re all free to meet up, where do I buy my favorite chocolates?’

We’re almost obsessed with the who’s what’s when’s and where’s of the world, and for those more inquisitive types the how’s. But one question that’s asked a lot less frequently (and incorrectly so) is ‘Why?’

If you spend much time around 3-6 year old kids you see them asking this question all the time, but then we just stop. Why is such an important question because it allows us inroads into deeper conversations and meanings pretty much everywhere we ask it. 

The more we can ask the ‘why’ questions, the more we understand other peoples (or our own) decision making and rationale. We get to the reasons behind the answers to the ‘Who, what, where, when’ questions and start looking into emotional factors that make people do what they do. It’s not only important information to truly understand someones thoughts/actions, but also imperative when trying to help/coach/change them. 

‘Why’ gets to the root of the person, the rest keep it superficial.