The Lost Art of Questioning
By: Skylar Lysaker
Tags: Questions, Problem Solving, Humanity, Psychology, Mindset

The ability to ask questions is the greatest resource in learning the truth.

-Carl Jung

Ever since I can remember I have been curious. I’ve always sought to find the truth in its most raw form. For me, questioning has become a natural part of my life, but at times it’s difficult to ask the right questions. It could be your lack insight into a subject matter, an interpersonal communication barrier, or just plain old ignorance. Regardless of that said block, a dilemma arises when you lose the ability to ask questions.

Asking questions is the process in which we engage with said person or data with the intent to learn or to gather clarity on a subject. Unfortunately, at a young age we were pestered to not ask questions. For example, most people know that kid that never stopped asking questions. The ones who always ask why is the earth round, who said I can’t do that, or why not? The inquisitive nature of a child is boundless, but in today’s world most kids are not raised and or educated in a system that caters to their skills and intuitive traits, but attempts to mold and tame them to a certain “standard”.

Do you remember the young you? The kid version that had limitless energy, laugher and imagination. The kid who asked questions, craved learning and saw possibility? That kid version of you was told no, it was told to fit in, it was told to do what others did. We are heard creatures, so we casually do what others do. This inherently is not a bad thing, but we can often lose our sense of self and begin to cater to the world around us. We begin to stop asking questions out of fear of ridicule and begin to just trust the data that comes down the chain of hierarchy.

Now I don't believe all kids loose that sense of wonder, as I know a lot of people who love asking questions and have developed the faculties to think for themselves and discern data. But, sadly I would say most of the world hasn’t come to this realization. Now in regards to trusting the data we are told from our hierarchy, have you ever played the game where you tell someone a phrase and then have them pass it along to 8 or 9 other people until it comes back to you? Then you get to laugh when the phrase comes back with extra words or an additional story line attached to it. It’s human nature to error, so just imagine that all of the data and standards we are being told are simply misconceptions of misconceptions. Data flowing from one level beginning as one subject and ending as another.

This is the reason why it is important to ask questions. This is the god given reason that we have the ability to discern right from wrong, truth from false and so on. Yet, if we do not use and or hone these abilities or we shut them down out of fear, how can we really trust anything we hear?

The ability to question is incredibly important in today’s world. Now more than ever, with the access to infinite data via smartphones, laptops and high speed internets we are exposed to an undeniably large amount of false information. I personally believe that false information is used to distract and confuse people. But, if your not a conspiring skeptic like I, don’t take my word for it. Just remember that to be human is to error, if you make mistakes then people who make the media you consume also do. If that is the case, and you do not know how to discern information once again can you trust what you hear?

Humans have become lazy. Not just physically, but mentally.

We create tech to think less about menial subjects, which is actually very similar to the way the our subconscious mind works with habits. It habitulaizes actions to conserve energy for the brain and body to use elsewhere. It’s not inherently bad, but what it does is open us up to use energy on more difficult tasks. This is the reason I enjoy tech, I see it for its productivity value. The thing we need to watch out far is when instead of using the tool for said task, that the tool begins to use us for someone else's said task or agenda. (Social media apps like Facebook / Instagram as an example.)

Final Thoughts

If we wish to solve major problems and advance as a race we must know how to cut through the noise. We cannot simply trust all of the data and begin to pawn off our primal human functions to machines, or media giants. These functions are gifts and if we forget how to use them, we will lose them. That scares me about the future, a time where humans forget the faculties that make them human in the first place.

If you would like to add anything into this article, please comment below. If you’d like to talk and have a real conversation, please email me at the contact information below.

Email: skylar@isaindustries.com

Sincerely,

Skylar