Action without purpose.
I got in trouble a lot at school when I was younger.
Funny thing is, the main reason I got in trouble so often in school was because I was obsessed with asking why.
I didn't understand it at the time, but when I was younger I was encouraged by my dad to ask questions. He knows a little about everything and in watching him, I got to ask why a lot, and learn as much as I could.
Why was my favorite, and still is.
Why are you doing that? Why do you do that? Why does that matter?
It was a simple thing that taught me a lot about everyday life. But oddly enough, in school... it wasn't only a touchy question. It down-right offended some teachers… granted I abused the use of why because I wasn’t the best kid.. but still.
Plenty of times I would get in trouble right away when teachers would give us assignments and I would question why we need to do this work.
Why does this help us?
Why is this important for our lives?
Some teachers would answer intelligently. Others would give silly responses that never actually addressed why.
I didn't just frustrate people, I got yelled at. I was given detention. Sent to the principle. In hindsight I don't necessarily blame the teachers entirely.. but I realize now that there is something fundamentally wrong when students are not only, not encouraged to ask why... but punished for doing so.
Instead of a teacher realizing my curiousity and working to inform me why the work was relevant, teachers commonly took my question as a personal attack. And would in some way or another try and get me to just do work aimlessly without any idea why the work was relevant for anyone.
The problem is when you teach kids at a young age to just do stuff, without explaining to them what they are doing and why... they listen. They just do their homework. They just study for the test. Because everyone else is doing it, and the adult said so.
They get out of high school and just got to college, and just party, and just practice poor physical and financial health approaches.
They just graduate, just get some job, and pretty soon just get married and potentially just have kids without ever really questioning why.
See the problem?
That path is a fast-track to a mid-life crisis, potentially divorce, a feeling of helplessness for pursuing a career you were never really interested in, and much more.
Meanwhile, some of the most popular books in the world that change peoples lives are As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel, Know Your Why by Ben Costa, and Start With Why by Simon Sinek.
Simon Sinek's ted talk revolving around finding your why has been translated into 47 different languages, has sparked nearly 2,000 comments, and has been viewed over 39,000,000 times online.
But Why?
Learn more on this:
Tedtalk: Simon Sinek
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action
Book: As A Man Thinketh
https://www.amazon.com/As-Man-Thinketh-Complete-Original/dp/1523643536
Book: Man's Search for Meaning
https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534162428&sr=1-1&keywords=viktor+frankl+man%27s+search+for+meaning