This I Believe

Jordan - North Miami Beach, Florida
Entered on October 10, 2006

Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Who was the twenty second president? What did Eli Whitney invent? When did the Cold War start? Where is Warsaw located? Why am I writing this? I believe in questions. With questions come answers, and with answers comes understanding, and with understanding comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes… I’ll stop there. But as anyone can see questions are the first link in the chain of endless possibilities.

Growing up I was always the kid who would raise his hand and ask, “why”? Or “what if”? And at the time I didn’t realize how much those “whys” and “what ifs” would help. Even today some of those questions like “why the grass green and the ocean blue?” and “what if Christopher Columbus never sailed.” These questions are just some of the important universal questions.

Now some questions have no definite answer. This is the fun part. With no exact answer, there are opinions and beliefs. Many times answers are based on religion or custom. Other times it is based on individuality. Some have no answer but do cause one to think. Questions create the search for answers, through books, computers, teachers, and parents and grandparents. Some answers are based on facts and some are based solely on experience. Either way, answers are found.

Curiosity that leads to questioning gives us astronauts, scientist, philosophers, doctors and inventors. All are trying to answer their questions of who, why, when, where and how, giving answers to all who wonder the same things.

I am not alone in my belief. One of the greatest philosophers of all time, Socrates, developed a method of learning based on the belief of questions. The Socratic Method is teaching students by asking questions and receiving answers rather then telling students. This in fact causes them to be constantly thinking and involved.


Questioning sparks interest, initiates conversation, and creates a quest for answers.

I believe in questions because they are the keys to unlock the universe.