The first philosophers may have been asking or been asked a question. We will never know what it was, what is a cloud? Why does it rain? do we need pain? It probably wasn’t profound because they may not yet have had the language to ask. It may also have been what is self-awareness? which is probably the most profound question any of us may ever ask.
Of course we have the right to ask today if any of those early questions were needful, or useful. It rains because it rains, there is pain because there is pain, are as relevant answers as any other. They don’t get us anywhere but as is the way with words, people sometimes think such an answer is imbued with wisdom.
But the asking of questions is itself, a noble art and one we do not engage in enough. Questions are like spring cleaning – they help find the dark corners where dirt has collected so we can live in a spotless environment. You get rid of a question, and you store up trouble for your community.
#demosthenes
#dreamtime