Do I Really Need to Know ‘Why’?

Sometimes I feel like a four-year-old kid when I ask “Why” when someone informs me of a new process, or they share a monumental decision, or they are trying to work out a problem out in their head.

Perhaps it is for my understanding, or perhaps what they have said defies all logic for me; I feel compelled to ask the “Why?” question.

Lately though, I have found that not all people want to be questioned when they do this. Somehow, they feel I’m trying to attack them, so I continue with, “What is the logic behind this?”

This seems to get them out of the defensive mode of “…because I said so…” mode and into one of enlightenment and understanding for both them and for me. They sometimes explain, sometimes revise, and every once in a while, they realize the foolishness of their instruction. For example, in one such recent interaction, I actually heard, “Because that’s the way it’s always been done.”

Those moments make me inwardly smile, and yes, I’ll continue to ask “Why?” because it makes people actually think and helps me understand them in the long run.