Why Embracing Curiosity to Question Everything is the Key to True Understanding
Beliefs and Reality: What’s the Difference?
My father always believed that when he died, it would be lights out—no afterlife, no continued existence. Raised Catholic but eventually an atheist, he never forced religion on his children. Yet many others hold tightly to the belief that they’re destined for heaven, hell, paradise, or purgatory. When we look at these beliefs objectively, we realize something important—reality doesn’t shift based on our beliefs and biases. What’s real is real, regardless of our ideas about it. So why do we hold on so tightly to beliefs, and why do we fear questioning them?
The Fear of Asking Questions: Why We Don’t Challenge Authority
One thing that fascinates me is how many people—religious or “spiritual”—are reluctant to question their beliefs. To some, asking the wrong question might be seen as rebellious or, in religious circles, even influenced by evil forces. But why is questioning seen as dangerous? A closer look reveals that questioning authority—whether it’s a religious leader, a spiritual teacher, or a cultural system—threatens the very structure of what they rely on.
Maybe the truth is that authority doesn’t want to be challenged because they don’t have the answers. Could it be that those we consider “authorities” are just as lost in the dark as we are, clinging to beliefs without actual knowledge? If that’s true, perhaps questioning authority exposes their uncertainty and reliance on the same shaky foundations of belief that we have.
Fundamentalism is a refusal to think; it’s simply to accept without thinking, and to think only of survival.
Mahatma Gandhi
What’s Wrong with Challenging Authority?
From a young age, we’re conditioned to trust authority. Teachers, religious figures, parents—these are people we’re supposed to look to for answers. But what happens when those figures don’t have the answers? And, more importantly, what happens when we start asking uncomfortable questions?
The entire tapestry might start to unravel when we pull at the threads of beliefs and authority. But isn’t that the point of questioning—to find out what holds true under scrutiny and what doesn’t? Questioning isn’t about disrespect or doubt but the deep investment in discovering the truth. In a way, questioning authority is the mark of someone genuinely seeking understanding.
The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages.
Banksy
Curiosity and Inquiry: The Foundation of Real Discovery
Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas), the founder of the Diamond Approach®, was driven by a deep curiosity about the nature of reality. His journey of existential questions—Who am I? What am I?—led to an entire spiritual system emphasizing inquiry as the heart of discovery.
In the Diamond Approach, inquiry isn’t just intellectual curiosity. It’s a way of directly engaging with reality. It’s called Diamond Inquiry, a process where no question is off-limits. The goal isn’t necessarily to find the answer but to open ourselves up to whatever truth might emerge.
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
Albert Einstein
Why Fear Stops Us From Questioning
Fear plays a central role in why we avoid asking hard questions. The fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of getting it wrong—these are powerful forces that keep us stuck in familiar beliefs. But what if fear is not the enemy? What if fear is the very signal that we’re on the edge of discovery? In the Diamond Approach, fear isn’t a barrier—it’s part of the terrain we must explore to understand reality.
If we can see through the fear and stay curious, we open ourselves to deeper insights and greater freedom. Real freedom comes not from avoiding questions but being willing to ask them, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.
It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.
Eugene Ionesco
Question Everything: The Path to Freedom
Ultimately, if we’re seeking freedom, we need to be willing to question everything—even the teachings, systems, and beliefs we hold most dear. Freedom isn’t found in avoiding the questions. It’s found in the courage to face them head-on and live with the answers—or lack thereof—that arise.
If our beliefs are true, they’ll withstand the scrutiny of inquiry. If they’re not, then isn’t it better to find out? Questioning isn’t a betrayal of authority or tradition—it’s the path to deeper understanding and real engagement with life. After all, how can we truly live in alignment with reality if we don’t dare to ask, “What is real?”
The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.
Coco Chanel
How to Begin Your Inquiry
If you’re ready to embark on this path of questioning, the Diamond Approach offers valuable tools for engaging in meaningful inquiry:
- Curiosity: The starting point of true exploration, driven by the heart’s desire to understand.
- Diamond Inquiry: A process that invites every question, where the aim is not a certainty but is open to what is true at each moment.
- Aim of Inquiry: The purpose isn’t just finding answers but allowing space to unfold the truth.
- Fear: A natural part of the process, signaling we’re approaching the edges of our comfort zone and deeper truth.
- Freedom: The ultimate reward of inquiry. Not freedom from reality but freedom to live authentically within it.
Why We Must Continue to Question
Questioning authority, beliefs, and even our assumptions isn’t about being defiant—it’s about being deeply engaged with life. In a world where so many prefer the comfort of certainty, those willing to embrace curiosity and face the discomfort of not knowing are the ones who will discover what’s truly real.
So, let’s keep questioning everything. Because the real danger isn’t in asking questions—it’s in never daring to ask them in the first place.