Why are you reading this post? Curiosity? Okay, then why were you curious about it? Because it came to mind, or you stumbled upon it? Then why did it come to your mind, or why did you stumble upon it?
One can go on and on and on if they really intend to. That is the thing about asking "why" — the more you peel back a question, the more layers of understanding you uncover. Each answer simply hands you a new question, and that is not a frustration; it is the whole point.
Feynman on the "Why" Question
If you want a brilliant exploration of this very topic, it is worth checking out Richard Feynman talking about it. You can find him discussing it in this video: https://youtu.be/Q1lL-hXO27Q
Here is a small excerpt from the video:
"Why did she slip on the ice?" Well, ice is slippery. Everybody knows that, no problem. But you ask why is ice slippery? That's kinda curious. Ice is extremely slippery. It's very interesting. You say, how does it work? You could either say, "I'm satisfied that you've answered me. Ice is slippery; that explains it," or you could go on and say, "Why is ice slippery?" and then you're involved with something, because there aren't many things as slippery as ice. It's not very hard to get greasy stuff, but that's sort of wet and slimy. But a solid that's so slippery? Because it is, in the case of ice, when you stand on it (they say) momentarily the pressure melts the ice a little bit so you get a sort of instantaneous water surface on which you're slipping. Why on ice and not on other things? Because water expands when it freezes, so the pressure tries to undo the expansion and melts it. It's capable of melting, but other substances get cracked when they're freezing, and when you push them they're satisfied to be solid.
Why does water expand when it freezes and other substances don't? I'm not answering your question, but I'm telling you how difficult the why question is. You have to know what it is that you're permitted to understand and allow to be understood and known, and what it is you're not. You'll notice, in this example, that the more I ask why, the deeper a thing is, the more interesting it gets. We could even go further and say, "Why did she fall down when she slipped?" It has to do with gravity, involves all the planets and everything else. Nevermind! It goes on and on.
Pretty deep, right? The sort of thing that sends our brains on a full merry-go-round. The beauty of the "why" question is that it works at whatever depth you are willing to go. There is no single stopping point, which is exactly what makes it so powerful. Those questions can lead to the realization or the discovery of some of the most beautiful aspects of this universe — from the simplest everyday moment to the furthest reaches of science.
No matter what type of question it is, ask if you want to know. Curiosity is one of the most human things we have, and every great understanding begins with someone daring to ask why.
Until next time, remember: the curious mind always has questions worth asking.