Inquiring minds want to know

I have questions.

We’re watching a spy thriller on TV. I have questions about what’s coming next. I want to know where the spy is going on a dimly lit road. I want to know who he’s meeting up with and what they’re whispering to each other. I’ll grab the remote control and stop the show in midstream to ask questions out loud. My wife takes a deep breath. In her best patient mom voice, she says that the only way to find out is to keep watching.

Later I want to know why the road near our house is going to be closed for two weeks. I want to know why the township planned a major bridge construction project at the start of school. Why was it not planned in the middle of the summer?

Yes, I have questions.

Question everything

I see the story from over the weekend about the Pentagon’s new policy. Journalists must agree not to disclose unauthorized information. Otherwise, they risk having their credentials revoked and losing access to the building. I shake my head. I want to know what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is thinking. He thinks we should just believe him. Is he crazy? Has the Pentagon learned nothing from history? Do they even understand the job reporters do?

The Pentagon’s has to only look back on its own history. The New York Times and Washington Post published excerpts in June 1971 of the Pentagon Papers, revealing that multiple presidential administrations had misled the public and Congress about the war’s scope and feasibility. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the newspapers, upholding the freedom of the press. It reinforced the idea that journalists have a right to publish critical information without government censorship.

Yes, question everything.

Little and big things

Oh it’s not just politics. I want to know the ingredients in the kibble that my son is feeding his puppy. Heck, I want to know the ingredients in my own food. What exactly is corn maltodextrin and why is it included in my Tostitos?

I have questions about everything. I can’t be the only one? What makes you say, “hey, what’s going on here? What’s this all about?

. . . . . . . .

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” —Albert Einstein.

“The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.” —Claude Levi-Strauss

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” —Voltaire

“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” —Confucius

“When you stop learning, stop listening, stop looking and asking questions, always new questions, then it is time to die.” —Lilian Smith

Images by Pexels.

Discover more from Writing from the Heart with Brian

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

46 thoughts on “Inquiring minds want to know”

  1. I am like you – always questioning, always searching, going down rabbit holes for answers to my questions.
    Curiosity Killed The Cat but was he content in the knowledge that he gained before he died? As for us does it mean that some things, you just don’t want to know.
    I’d call Hegseth a Chucklehead and although his head does have a square shape, it’s also an insult to one of my favorite jelly candies. 😂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love your question about “knowing.” Most times I would say yes! If it’s out in the open, then I can deal with it. If it’s hidden, then it’s hard to respond. At least that’s my thought. As for Hegseth …. Ugh! Chucklehead is a great word. Ha ha. Thank you for the laugh.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Well done, Brian. One of the smartest men I know doesn’t stop with the first question. He thinks about the answer and will ask a second or a third, etc.

    Those who stop and say, “That makes sense,” in response to the answer to a question have not probed deeply enough.

    We should remember that Socrates always had more questions.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. One of my sons told me that he has always believed I was intelligent because I always go searching for the ‘why’. (My sons and daughter are in their forties so I was really flattered that he thinks I am intelligent 👍 but truly believe he is intelligent for noticing. 😊)

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Great questions. You are asking good ones. FYI, I heard an ad today for corn chips called MASA. They are cooked in beef tallow and have no chemical ingredients. You can go to their website at MASA Chips.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. interesting to hear about the MASA – but I think the corn is the problem – just my opinion as for better gut health we avoid grains, industrial seed oils, and abstain from most cane sugar (and esp no fake sweeteners- but enjoy lots of fruit) and not now, but I could share ‘why’ if needed – also, all the food that is stored with plastic is processed food – even if fried in tallow – hmmm

      Liked by 3 people

      4. so much to learn – and I think it really comes down to what works for us – I had to clean up my diet – but it seems many folks can get away with not (and I am not sure what I mean by that – lol – hmmm)

        Liked by 2 people

  5. good post and I like to know the end of spy thriller stuff while watching – and it sounds like your wife is a gem with patience)
    I like the quotes at the end of your post –
    oh and regarding the reporting of certain national security things – I think there should be discretion – and that discretion in sharing is not the same thing as suppressing journalism

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Ah…things that you and hubby Paul have in common…that desire to stop a show to interject your questions when the very next scene is about to address the question…in question. LOL! 🤣

    Liked by 2 people

  9. What a great post, and great quotes to round it off. I love when people ask questions, especially unexpected ones. It’s really become a lost art.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. I think we need to ask questions and to also question information more than ever, Brian. It is scary how it is seen as something to be punished for these days!

    On a lighter note, you and I are very similar in watching movies and asking questions out loud. It’s why I usually watch movies by myself in the theatres now. 🤣

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Good quotes!
    I disagree with the new policy, it feels like they are trying to hide things from the public.
    Brian, are you familiar with Gretchen Rubin’s ‘The Four Tendencies’? I took the quiz, it said I’m a Questioner. I might guess you’d also be a Questioner.
    Brief description of a Questioner – they question all expectations…. They’re motivated by reason, logic, and fairness. They wake up and think, “What needs to get done today, and why?” They decide for themselves whether a course of action is a good idea. Because Questioners want to make well-considered decisions and come to their own conclusions, they tend to be intellectually engaged, and they’re often willing to do exhaustive research….

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Yes, I do think they’re trying to hide things! Or at least hide some of the details. And yes, love Rubin’s four tendencies. And you’re right I’m a questioner. The logic and fairness explain a lot about me. I get really annoyed that life isn’t always fair. I want things to be structured and rules to work the same every time. Explains a lot about me and my sense of right and wrong!!!!🤣🤣🤣😎😎

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑

Discover more from Writing from the Heart with Brian

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading