Reasons

Having to babysit today placed me in a deep state of thinking yet again.

My nephew and niece's incessant questioning of the transcendental question 'why' triggered my own inquiry of questioning ... why ask 'why'?

From the conception of consciousness, we ask the question 'why'

Why does the sun rise each morning?
Why must I eat this every morning?
Why is the dog asleep and the cat not?
Why must I hold your hand while crossing the street?
Why is that vehicle bigger than the other?
Why must I wash my hands before eating?
Why is your car smaller than my daddy's?
Why must I go to school?
Why can't I play on the swing?
Why can't I buy that toy?
Why can't I have that candy?
Why doesn't that girl be my friend?
Why aren't you listening to me?

And as we age, the 'whys' become increasingly complex ... or we so like to think

Why am I studying?
Why do I have to do math?
Why am I not popular like he is?
Why can't I be as smart as he is?
Why am I not as athletic as he is?
Why do my parents ignore me?
Why does my teacher not give me the attention I want?
Why me?
Why am I alone?
Why am I doing this?
Why am I here?
Why aren't you listening to me?

And as we enter adulthood, we think we would get the answers to some of these questions. But most people never do. We live a life with questions unanswered; we seek ultimate and universal truths to these questions. We claw at our consciousness hoping to make sense of what we begin to realise is a senseless and incomprehensible world.

Why me?
Why am I alone?
Why am I doing this?
Why do I go to work when I hate it so?
Why am I here?
Why aren't you listening to me?

Why am I living? Why do I exist?
Why do I live?
Why can life get so difficult?

Why am I in pain ...?

The nature of our questions take on existential proportions as we move on in life. But still we will find no answers.

We will find no answers that are universal truths ... because there are none. These are questions with no answers; no one ever said that answers could be found. There are only questions - they will remain 'whys' with no 'because'. None of us would dare to claim 'because' for we know we are, in a post-lapsarian state, inadequate.

But life can be lived without answers. Uncertainty remains the only certainty. And life can be fulfilling with doubt. We do not always need 'becauses' or 'I knows'.

We only need questions...