'Don't just follow, learn to ask questions'

So said my grandmother

My grandmother was a wise woman. She always would use the tales from Panchatantra, Mahabharata or Ramayana to explain small but significant things in life but it was me who never understood them. Instead I cherished her art of story telling. How beautifully she explained everything with a small example.

Yesterday while dealing with another thread that called people like me 'weird' because we have different outlook reminded me of a such a story. This is how the story goes.

Once a worthy son of a poor father decided to leave the village in the search of a livelihood. The little paddy field where he worked could not run the large family he had.

After days of wandering in town he manages a pretty good job in a shop. He earned more and spend less as much as possible. After sometime he had enough to send some gifts to his family. He should send some sweets for his young brothers and sisters but he did something different. Out of everything so wonderful in the town the young lad was amused by the use of candles instead of aKerosene lamp. It would be a better gift he thought. It gives light without fuel. No refilling nothing just lit the candle and you are done.

It was duly sent to his home. After a few days, he received a letter of his father which said that though he loved his gift but he has to say it that the 'sweets made in town aren't as good as they are in his village. It would be wise of his son to stop spending money on such sweets.

So, the old man thought those were sweets. Only because the traditions says gifts can be sweets or other edibles they ate those packets of candles.

Why do we have to accept everything that comes by ? What can't we ask questions instead ? Why asking questions makes us weird people ?

Intelligence is not knowing the right answer but its asking the right question. Asking questions and using logic is neither stupid nor weird. In fact, accepting everything your favourites do will never make you a true fan because that always limits creativity.

Very wise words indeed! I can see where some people get their wisdom from.
I am like you and have a few questions of my own.[BR][BR]Why is it necessary for every one to ask questions all the time?
Why is it important to convince others of our intelligence and wisdom?especially on a forum such as this?Does it really matter if others see us as different just because they just don't get us?[BR]Can't people with differing views and preference co-exist?
Does every argument need to be won?
Do we need to make fun of others just because we don't get them?
Do we need to make the same point over and over again in million different ways ?
I can go on ...but I am going to stop here simply because intelligence is also about knowing when to stop saying the same thing in different ways!

First of all thanks for the compliment. ( if it was one ) and thank you for replying

Why is it necessary for every one to ask questions all the time? I think getting the right answer is the objective ?


Do we need to make fun of others just because we don't get them? EXACTLY!! BRILLIANT question...👏

Does it really matter if others see us as different just because they just don't get us? No, it doesn't as long they don't call us weird or delusional that too on a public forum.


Why is it important to convince others of our intelligence and wisdom?especially on a forum such as this? Another important question. Needs to analyzed first. WHo exactly is doing it ? If it was meant for my thread then I need to tell you my post itself is a reaction to those who found 40 weird thriller loving person here on India Forums and it was a really a weird way to express it on a forum such as this

The thread is also a response to some who thought Indian women didn't have brains.

intelligence is also about knowing when to stop saying the same thing in different ways!

Aha that is the whole debate all about dear. The makers are saying the same old things in a different way . Since I found more similarities so I am weird fan? Not fair isn't it ? That is why asking question is very important. yes, you are right. The question is where to stop. I really hope makers find the answer some day and stop showing 'the same thing is different ways' on television.


BUT yes since it is a discussion you and all of us can go on Bangles as long as we respect each other and avoid personal attacks. The idea is to ask the right question. Besides,my intelligence or rather common sense tells me that I cannot or should not ask anyone to watch or leave anything but I can surely ask the makers to show logical things on television even if I belong to a minority group.

Thanks for picking up the compliment Dey. It was indeed meant as one.

Do people need to be called weird and other names just because they have different view? Or because they have questions?

Bangles as long as people just think about me and restrict their beliefs to themselves there is no problem at all. As a matter of fact we all do it in our daily life. So, to tell such questions are under used is not really true.

In a forum like this there is no scope to just think about one person. You either say it or you don't.


@ Atominis: Yes the story is not about intelligence.Its not about who is wise or who is fool here.

The son wanted a better life for his family so he at once made a choice to go out of this ancestral village. He also easily adopted the good things available in the city. The father on the other hand restricted his ideas to the traditions. He was suppose to ask one simple question.

'What are these packets?'

But he didn't and that is what the story is all about. Following anything blindly doesn't help. Rather it is a dangerous procedure.

Asking questions is a sign of being alive, being human. Only animals, plants and puppets do not ask questions at all.

Good post I really enjoyed reading that story. The only thing I would add is that sometimes asking questions isn't enough. Sometimes you have to ask the question and discover the answer yourself. Just take our Dev D for example. The problem with him isn't that he doesn't ask questions but rather he asks the same constant question an never really bothers to find an answer to it.

I haven't read the posts where people are commenting against Indian women but that's just pure racism. It's rather sad really the vast majority if us are female on this forum and this show is meant to be about women empowerment however we still find ways to divide rather than unite.

Furthermore it's even more depressing that our beloved TRP aunties are also women living in the modern world but are hell bent on having strong independent woman like Durga reduced to a docile, so called Sanskari Bahu. They have no vision no ambition and no desire to see their future generation of daughters and grand daughters reaching heights that were denied to them. Rather they want us all to suffer the same sexist crap they did with no questions asked.