It makes me wonder.
[No. 53]
WHAT’S THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION WORD: WHY OR HOW?
“And it’s whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason”
Led Zeppelin
Egon Schiele’s “Mother & Child II” (1912)
For me, Alien, this question is a no-brainer. I stand in the [WHY] camp.
I live by the [WHY]. Have you ever lived with a toddler? If so, you will likely recall being asked [WHY] in continuum.
“Come to the table to eat your snack.”
“Why?”
“Let’s go outside to see the sunshine and take a walk before we settle in for a nap.”
“Why?”
“Put on your shoes.”
“Why?”
[WHY] is a mascot for curiosity; a fearless leader for reflection. When young, we’re intertwined with that part of us that seeks meaning incessantly. We move through the world with unfettered, relentless awe. This is the musculature that guides us toward what we find interesting. We find our people. We are so in tune with our desires. [Have you ever attempted to pick up a toddler who was steadfast on doing something else? They become like stone.]
As we grow, we can sometimes hear rumors that our [WHY] is less important than where we live, or who we love. However, when we sever that connection to our inner self, everything ultimately unravels. [WHY] tells us what makes us tick. Those energies are the blood flow of truths.
I found my way out of my marriage when I understood not how, but [WHY]. I didn’t know what I would find and feast on, yet I knew I was hungry. We both were. [HOW] speaks to functional process. Are we only functioning, or are we truly alive? The [WHY] is the beating heart of everything. Maybe we only really change our ways when we vision the world we wish our children to inhabit. Then, we reverse into our dreams. So for me, Alien, asking [WHY] connects us to our inner child, to the foolish dreamer, to the revolutionary. When the fire of [WHY] is lit, we will sort out [HOW]. Then, for odds and ends, there is always Google.