We live amid well-established systems and institutions. But because we’re so used to this environment, it doesn’t occur to us that it’s all made up.
So, we forget to question.
We become incapable of imagining that perhaps the world that we live in could’ve been different.
That the environment you’re born in isn’t so perfect and you can change it in a million small and big ways.
The need for freeing ourselves
Just because you live in an authoritative system that works fine doesn’t mean that you must abide by all its rules.
You didn’t create it. You weren’t here when it was made. You just happened to be born in it amidst certain circumstances.
Hence, it would be unfair to live how you’ve been taught to, without questioning anything, or without discovering the underlying reasons behind why things around you are the way they are.
Look around.
Our workplaces, communities, and even the society – all can be changed by questioning the already established structures or methods. And the questions don’t have to be revolutionary, they they must just shake people to think and bend the norms that already exist.
- What’s the point of giving kids homework?
- Why do we only use PowerPoint to communicate?
- Why do we spend big bucks on vanity?
These are random questions.
But you can go for bigger pursuits.
For instance, somebody got frustrated with the slow car manufacturing process and invented the assembly line. Or someone thought, “Oh, waiting for lunch is so boring,” and invented fast food.
But the point is to never stop being curious about the surroundings, like you did when you were a kid, bothering your parents while exploring the world with new eyes.
The ability to question what already exists is not just a good to have quality but rather essential.
Questions can make the world evolve faster. Dissatisfaction can lead to newer improved ways. The smart guys sitting up there could be wrong.
The world is not perfect
That’s why there’s always a place for another perspective, another idea. But we cannot contribute to the making unless we’re a little skeptical and courageous enough to question.