Questions

Questions

Questions, they play a really important part in our lives, don't you know?  I've only recently been reminded.how important they can be (or is it are?).  Most of the time, when I see someone who is really out on a limb, or acting irrationally, it's because they have lost (or never had) the capacity to question themselves and their beliefs.  How valuable is that ability?  We look at life based on assumptions most of the time.  Beliefs we take for granted, things we've done out of habit.  But do we stop and think?  Not to pick on Muslims, because one of the beliefs I've been questioning is whether Muslims are wrong about most things, but ask yourself how a man (or a woman) who is parent of a girl about to be raised a Muslim accepts the notion that this child must be second class, hidden from society, subjugated because she is a female?

Now, I'm thinking that I might be getting lazy.   It's easier to amble through life not stopping to think over the things we take for granted.  Why do I think it's OK for me to spend most of my time taking care of me, and not really worrying about anyone else (most days)?  It really can preoccupy you, you know.  You just get all wrapped up in yourself.

But, you have to wake up some morning and question the importance of "taking care of yourself" first.  Try another priority.  Should the one you're doing almost without thinking be set aside now and then?  Maybe these are not the examples that grab you and make you question your assumptions.  They just happened to come to mind for me when I realized that some habitual thinking on a more personal level was carrying me in a direction I thought I'd never go.  Sure, I caught myself, and changed course, but it reminded me to question myself once in a while.  Is this really the path you want to be on, the thing you should be doing?  Or are you just in the habit of thinking this way because of some assumption you accepted or developed along the way as a shortcut, instead of asking yourself the hard questions.  I'll keep my eyes open for some better examples, but in the mean time, I'm going to be asking questions.