Approximate read time: 3.5 minutes
It's a pretty appropriate question for most aspects of your life. Think about it -- no matter which activity you're participating in, where you choose to do it, or even what music you want to listen to, you can always ask yourself that simple question, and conversely, it can be asked of you by someone else. It can come in a variety of tones and connotations, from genuine inquisition to scathing indictment. It's only in typing this out that I'm realizing how ubiquitous this question can be. It should be quite apparent that the context of the situation in which it's being asked will determine the merit of the response, but that doesn't negate the value asking it can offer.
For example -- I'm presently sitting in a Tim Horton's dining room sipping on a decaf double double listening to The Appleseed Casts' fourth album, Low Level Owl Volume 2. Before settling in and putting on my headphones I begrudgingly ate what will qualify as one of the worst donuts I've ever consumed, and heard a patron unironically tell another in conversation that someone “challenged [them] to a gunfight or a swordfight.”
We can ask about a number of those statements, but let's work on the simplest one -- me being here at this moment.
Why? Well, I came here to write. It's Tuesday night, and on Tuesday nights I've blocked out a period of time in my life that I call my Writer's Block. In an effort to get more intentional in growing my writing craft it became necessary for me to be deliberate with my time, so I found a hole that would accommodate my stepping away from my house and finding a sometimes quiet place to “pen” some thoughts.
And therein lies what I find most interesting about the question itself -- that it can continue on as far as you choose to let it. Whether mundane or bizarre, you can use it to probe for an answer as far as you feel comfortable going. It also turns you quickly into an asshole if you're incessantly asking it of someone -- so it's worth treading lightly in some cases.
This practice may be familiar to you, particularly if you've worked in tech, or are aware of the steps taken during a Root Cause Analysis (RCA). Pioneered by Sakichi Toyoda for use at Toyota, the Five Whys technique is used to tease out the ultimate cause of a problem by asking “Why” 5 times, interrogating each answer until you reach the root cause of the problem. (I won't try to come up with a contrived example, you can read more on the Wikipedia page.)
I'm a big fan of this process. It satisfies my desire to learn the reason behind most things, and also brings me closer towards what I call foundational knowledge -- information that rests well below the surface of any given thing, but that is critical to true understanding. Transposing this into my personal life, and the efforts I've made to understand myself and grow over the last decade, it fits well alongside my internal dialogue that challenges my own beliefs and assumptions. I find it beneficial to ask myself why and interrogate the answer until I've reached an adequate depth -- thus satiating my drive for certainty.
So let's pick back up shall we?
I'm sitting in a Tim Horton's dining room sipping on a decaf double double listening to The Appleseed Casts' sixth album, Two Conversations, remembering with distaste one of the worst donuts I've ever consumed.
Why? Well, it's Tuesday night, it's my Writers Block time. I'm here to engage in the practice for a couple of hours.
Why? For the better part of my adult life I've wanted to create something others might read.
Why? I like the expressiveness it offers, and I enjoy offering pieces of myself to others through story, whether it's self-reflective or fictional.
Why? It affords me the chance to connect wholly with people by offering a candid, true presentation of who I believe myself to be.
Why? Because I can take my time and choose my words carefully -- forgoing any aspects of my personality that have, historically, been things I have a hard time connecting with people on.
(And so on.)
(I think you get the point.)
Disconcerting revelatory moments aside, I consider the act of asking 'why?' to be something critically important for a better understanding of who I am. Wielded sincerely against oneself, the opportunity to tease apart the reason behind your tendencies, beliefs, likes and dislikes, even passions and pursuits increases with each iteration of the question. Though easily disregarded for its simplicity, having the fortitude to ask 'why?' of yourself more often will lead to depth and certitude in your life.
<3 flurp