The most important and simplest question in the world
Dr Vernon Coleman
‘It is not enough to be busy,’ said Henry David Thoreau. ‘The question is: what are you busy about?’
Why do you work so hard? Why are you trying to make money? Why do you buy the things you buy? Why do you do what you do? Why does any of it matter? Why do you seek power? Why do you want this or that experience?
Most people ask themselves ‘Why?’ far too infrequently.
We live in a workaholic culture where most of us take on far too many commitments — many of which have no real value — simply because we feel we should.
For example, many car owners wash their motor vehicles once a week. They devote several hours of a weekend morning to this task. I wonder how many of them ever ask themselves why they are doing this — and whether the price they are paying (in terms of time, effort and money) is worth the dividend.
I can think of several possible reasons (other than the fact that it is merely a long established habit).
a) Because if a car is washed regularly it will fetch a better price when it is sold
b) Because a clean and shiny car is more likely to impress people
c) Because it is fun
Now, if a man gets pleasure from washing his car then that is fine. It is rather sad but I wouldn’t dream of discouraging him. In fact, I would be happy for him to pop round on Sunday morning and wash my car too if it would give him pleasure.
But, if he chooses either of the other two reasons then I would encourage him to think hard about the way he is spending his time.
Let’s concentrate on answer a) to begin with: the hope that by washing his car regularly he will be able to get a better price for it when he comes to sell it.
If he washes the car once a week and spends three hours on the task that is approximately 150 hours a year. In three years (the average time for which a car is likely to be kept) that is 450 hours.
Now, work out how much more you think a regularly washed car is likely to fetch when it is sold and subtract the cost of washing and polishing materials. This is figure A.
Then take the total number of hours spent on cleaning the car in between purchasing it and selling it. This is figure B.
Finally, divide figure A by figure B to obtain the hourly rate you are effectively paying yourself for car cleaning.
You will, I suspect, be horrified to discover just how little it is.
Now, let’s turn to answer b).
What is the point of spending hours every week washing a car simply so that people you don’t know, and will probably never meet, will be impressed?
Is this really the best use of your time?
It is possible to apply this simple questioning to just about everything you do.
It is even possible to apply it to work itself.
Many men (and a growing number of women) do not seem to realise that they are caught on a treadmill which is taking them absolutely nowhere.
They could completely or partly retire and live very comfortably on what they have already made. But they don’t.
If they were working because they enjoyed their work that would be understandable.
But how many men or women can honestly say that they thoroughly enjoy their work?
Many working men and women are pushing themselves for no reason; they are engaged in a race where the grave is the only goal and a headstone the only prize. They sacrifice their personal lives for work from which they obtain little or no satisfaction. The only goal is making money. The money is the prize, the glory, the passion and the purpose.
And the money making ritual continues because people don’t ask themselves: ‘Why?’ and ‘So what?’
Ask yourself ‘Why?’ you do everything you do.
Is it for applause and public approbation? Is it because you have an urgent need to say something? Is it because you want to make money for some specific purpose? Is it because you believe that you know what is right and what is wrong? Is it because you want to right a wrong? Is it because the incompetence and dishonesty of others has inspired you to action?
Not until you know why you do something will you be able to do it effectively. Why settle for less life and less control over your time than you could have? (And remember to ask yourself what happened to the dreams you had when you were 16-years-old.)
Remember that you are now enjoying tomorrow’s good old days. You should do whatever you can to make each day the best day of your life. When you get to the end of your life you should be able to look back and say: ‘I gave it my best shot!’
Make sure you are doing everything you can with your life. Ask yourself why you are doing something and you may find yourself surprised by the answer. Ask yourself ‘Why?’ and ‘So what?’ whenever you plan to do something.
The answers you get may change your life.
Why do you want a better job? Why do you want to save money? Why do you want to move house? Why do you want to buy a holiday home?
Only when you ask yourself ‘Why?’ will you know what you really need and what you are prepared to do for it.
Most people earn and spend without ever asking themselves ‘Why?’ They blindly sell their time (which is the same as selling their lives) for money which they spend on things they neither want nor need. Ask yourself ‘Why?’ more often and you will learn more about yourself and what you are doing.
But be warned. Asking yourself this simple question can be unnerving.
And if you have been going through life for years without knowing where you were headed (or why) then you may find the answers you get are rather startling.
Note
The essay above is taken from Vernon Coleman’s book ‘101 Things I have Learned’ – which, surprisingly perhaps, contains 101 things he has learned.
For more details please CLICK HERE
Copyright Vernon Coleman June 2025
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