Does “Why” Help or Hinder Your Search for Health & Happiness?
- Garden will teach you an easy and effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT & REBT) system.
Answering Why: What happens when you focus on answering why before you take action? Ask what and how before asking why.
- Read for a self-help system to improve your thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.
Answering Why Did It Happen?
- Following is a rewritten Zen story about being stuck on the question “why.”
General Is Shot
- Once, a general sat atop a hill surrounded by an elite guard.
- As he observed the battle’s progress, a stray arrow struck him in the chest.
- When his physician came to pull out the arrow and tend to his wounds, the general said, “First, let me find out who shot me, then you can take out the arrow.”
Find the Shooter
- So, the general sent out some of his elite guards to find the archer.
- Surprisingly, they were able to find out who shot the arrow.
- Rushing back to the general, they told him who the archer was.
- The surgeon then once again began preparations to remove the arrow.
- However, the general objected and said, “First, let me find out who made the arrow; then you can take out the arrow.”
Find the Maker of the Arrow
- So once again, the general sent out some of his elite guards, this time to find the arrow maker.
- Surprisingly, they were able to find out who made the arrow.
- Rushing back to the general, they informed him of who the maker was.
- The surgeon then once again began preparations to remove the arrow.
- However, the general objected and said, “First, let me find out what tree the arrow came from; then, you can take out the arrow.”
Find the Tree the Arrow Came From
- So, once again, the general sent out some of his elite guards.
- This time to find the tree that the arrow was made from.
- Surprisingly, they found out what tree the arrow was cut from.
- Rushing back to the general, they informed him which tree was used to make the arrow.
- The surgeon then once again began preparations to remove the arrow.
- However, the general objected and said, “First, let me find out who planted the tree the arrow came from; then, you can take out the arrow.”
Find the Planter of the Tree
- So once again, the general sent out some of his elite guards, this time to find the planter of the tree from which the arrow was made.
- Surprisingly, they were able to find out who planted the tree that the arrow was cut from.
- Rushing back to the general, they found that he had bled to death while waiting for answers to all of his questions.
12-Step Group Parable
- Following is a rewritten parable circulating in 12-step groups about the consequences of asking “why.”
- The parable has been rewritten and modified.
Sinking Ship
- There once was a man who was on a sinking ship.
- When the others were safely in the lifeboat, they asked him to join them.
- But he refused.
- He said he could not leave the sinking ship until he knew “why” it was sinking.
- The others watched in horror as he went down with the ship.
FitzMaurice’s Analogy About Asking “Why”
- To insist on knowing “why” before you accept help is like falling in the ocean and refusing to swim to shore until you know “why” you fell in.
- Read and discover the best diagrams and maps of how people control and manipulate you.
- Asking why is less important than asking what the games are and how they are played.
Answering Why Something Happened
- Answers to “why” vary according to the preferences of the hunters as to which target to blame.
- Targets can be grouped into being either of an inner or an outer nature. Inner targets can be grouped either as responsibility or spirituality issues.
- Outer targets can be grouped either as physical or social environment issues.
- Hence, there are many permutations, possible combinations of causes, and many possible explanations.
- For a list of 100, see Blame or Responsibility: 100 Excuses.
Answering Why
A Sensible Answer to “Why” in 3 Parts:
(1) you are biologically prone to the negative;
(2) you are sociologically conditioned to the negative;
(3) you are habitually drawn to the negative.
- Bottom line: work against your negative tendencies, whether natural, social, or just a bad habit.
Answering Why
3D: Daily Dose: 2019
#Why #What: 2019-10-04
1. Focusing on answering “why” will cause you to lose sight of “what” and “how.”
2. “Why” is not wrong, but it should be the last question.
3. “Why” should come after “how,” which should come after “what.”
4. Thoroughly answering “what” and “how” will prepare you to ask “why.”
5. Often, answering “what” and “how” without answering “why” will be sufficient for effective coping and problem-solving.
- Read and discover the best diagrams and maps of how people control and manipulate you.
- Asking why is less important than asking what the games are and how they are played.
Answering Why: Quotations Various Sources
Listed Alphabetically
“Answers to ‘why’ are often just an escape from the whirlpool effect of ‘why.’” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” —I Peter 2:20
“If we waited until we knew why matter existed, there would be no physics.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“If we waited until we knew why the exchange of electrons gave off energy, there would be no electricity.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“If we waited until we knew why the universe existed, there would be no astronomy.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“If you know ‘what,’ you can look for ‘how,’ and if you know ‘how,’ you can look for ‘why.’” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“Knowing ‘what’ allows you to define the problem. Knowing ‘how’ allows you to solve the problem. Knowing ‘why’ allows you to prevent the problem.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“‘Why’ is a witch hunt.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“‘Why’ is the luxury of leisure, but ‘what’ and ‘how’ are the tools of work.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
“‘Why’ is the merry-go-round of procrastinators.” —Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
- Read and discover the best diagrams and maps of how people control and manipulate you.
- Asking why is less important than asking what the games are and how they are played.
Answering Why: Related Pages of Free Information
- Blame or Responsibility: 100 Excuses
- CBT, CT, & REBT Cognitive Psychotherapies: List Pages
- Coping Skills: Free Help
- Counseling Issues: Free Help
- Emotional Responsibility: List Pages
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT): Websites External Links
- REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy): List Pages
- Responsibility Issues: Shoelaces Parable on Responsibility
- Scripture Topic: Counseling
- Self-Esteem Issues: List Pages
- Unconditional Self-Esteem
- What, How, & Why Questions
- Read and discover the best diagrams and maps of how people control and manipulate you.
- Asking why is less important than asking what the games are and how they are played.