Of course you know that being happy is better than being sad. What you might not know is if you can't freely and easily ask questions, your very attitude might suffer.
The ability to ask "why" is dependent on your curiosity and your curiosity triggers investigative action, and action generally triggers satisfaction and happiness.
Given the relative isolation many of us experience, such as workplace issues, layoffs, empty nest syndromes, and retirement, our curiosity about what others are saying and doing diminishes. And when we are no longer curious, stimulation erodes, and our desire to act on anything disappears.
The more isolation we experience, the harder it is to generate curiosity. If you find yourself not asking others for details, or you read or see information dispassionately, it's time to re-activate your curiosity muscle!
Certainly, you can ask the people in your life to clarify and expand upon their experiences, but if you find yourself without stimulation, you'll have to make it for yourself!
Read or see information on the Internet, and for each subject area, write out between 5 and 10 questions related to it.
If no one is around to answer those questions, talk to Google! That is, for each question, do a Google search.
And, for each answer you find, write out more questions.
Asking questions is an art that, without practice, can easily become lost. Without generating questions, some people start questioning the meaning of their existence and when that happens, they definitely are not happy. Links:
For a lot of excellent information on the value of asking questions, plus tips on how to frame them, search on the phrase "value of asking questions on life satisfaction."
The Value of Questions, www.creatovation.ie: A rather specific, philosophical view on the value of question asking.
The Surprising Power of Questions, by Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John for the Harvard Business Review: "Asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding." The article discusses why people don't ask enough questions and how to improve upon the practice.
Improve Your Emotional Intelligence, by Scott Mautz, keynote speaker and author of 'Find the Fire' and 'Make It Matter,' for INC.com: Discusses how asking questions make you more liked, and in turn, you'll like yourself more.
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by Sketch-Views with Karen Little