I discussed the abstract with Dr. Jeannot in my PhD program at Gonzaga University.  The weekly lectures always addressed several highlights based on readings in our Ethics and Leadership class.  Which is forcing me to think about my continual yearning to “question everything.”

The core principle of philosophy is to find meaning in life.  Past and present philosophers have offered refreshing ideas on how to live a happy and good life.  My esoteric professor was never concerned with technical concepts or strategies for leadership or development but instead categorized our thoughts into thinking more critically.  His messaging is a covert dissecting of our daily behavior. At the same time, he catalyzed the conversation for us to cognize the meaning of our valued insights on life and happiness, death, society, and the universe.

The idea of questioning everything can seem strange.  It can also aggravate when applied to a child who won’t stop asking “why?”  However, my inner five-year-old will not succumb to adulthood and continues to poke and prod. My twenty-five-year-old son finds my behavior exhausting at the dinner table.  I can’t help myself.  It should be a general requirement to ask questions as we go through our everyday lives.  There is hope that the answers may offer a new, refreshing perspective and way to live. The point of continually asking questions is not necessarily to find answers.  Often, when I ask and receive an answer, it generates more questions.  Yet, this is when I believe we genuinely begin to understand something. 

Let’s look at life. The goal of school (this course) was television shows, documentaries, books, songs, podcasts, and anything else that conveys information about a subject matter.  It is the idea of storytelling.  Which is, ultimately, answering a question that may or may not have been explicitly asked, but it is a response nonetheless.  Questions have a place in every aspect of human existence, from how long I bake chickens to the square root of twenty.  They can be ridiculous or meaningful, simple or tricky; yet either way, they are a vehicle that allows information to be transferred from one person to another.  Questions can create breakthroughs or devastate relationships.  Asking questions can often give answers but will always give just a little more than that.

To question is to consider.  To consider lends towards understanding.  Therefore, by asking everything, I am looking to gain a better understanding of everything. Many people may agree that understanding things in general is good.  Many ancient philosophers believed that death was the end of human consciousness.  Some believed in the afterlife or immortality, and many did not.  They all agreed that our minds are temporary forms that will one day break down.  We must acknowledge our interconnection with each other.  If we take more time to ask questions, we can learn from each other, which is a rational approach to me.

I believe we each create and control our destiny—the values we place on how to get there change based on the individual.  My inner drive for inquiry is partly to pursue personal greatness and partially to overcome suffering and weaker traits by learning from others.  Hardship is what molds our character and makes us better.  For me, dissecting the pain in my life creates meaning.  The secret to life is how to obtain happiness.  My discontent is still being deconstructed; stay tuned on how I handle that difficulty moving forward.