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On Staying Humble
Why (big W) vs. why (small w)
Why? It is perhaps the defining question of humanity. The ability to ask why sets humans apart from all other forms of life in the universe we have so far explored. The curiosity that spurs the asking of why is the ultimate manifestation of the human condition. We’ve been asking why since before the dawn of recorded history, and will likely continue to do so forever.
Why are we here? Why are there stars in the sky? Why does day give way to night? Why is there suffering in the world?
The pursuit of answers to why has given rise to virtually all progress humanity has made since the dawn of our species. And we’ve developed varied ways of exploring the universe and our place in it that leverage our unique ability to ask why. Namely, mythology and religion, science and philosophy, and literature and imagination.
Early humans no doubt marveled at the night sky with utter amazement. The lack of modern distractions and light pollution meant that the night sky would have been one of the most wondrous things an early human would ever experience. It would have been impossible for early humans, thanks to the curiosity inherent in the human mind, to go on looking at the heavens without trying to develop some understanding thereof.
