Questioning

Asking questions is a good habit. One of the tragedies of poor child rearing is the tendency to discourage children from saying "Why?" repeatedly. The childlike curiosity of "Why?" is the key to skeptical and scientific living.

The person who does not ask questions lives in a world of presumptions and assumptions. The unquestioning are the ideal minions of dictators and other abusers. Resting quietly with conformist assumptions about what is "right" or "normal" sedates the brain and endangers society.

Questioning is different from challenging. This is evident in the difference between a curious agnostic and an evangelical atheist. In order to be a secure questioner, it is helpful to first be secure in the understanding of your own knowledge and ignorance. That includes knowledge and ignorance of your own personality. So, questioning yourself is always a good place to start in developing the skills of a good questioner. 

Humanism, as I experience it, isn't very complicated. It begins with a questioning and exploratory journey within. It leads to developing a process of relishing change and exploring the uncertainty of life. This opens the mind to exploring an understanding of the oneness of the human experience and its intricate diversity. Immersing the mind and life energy into the human experience inevitably leads to an appreciation and curiosity about everything in the human environment. The happy questioner doesn't expect answers. The happy questioner takes delight in the questioning itself.