From an early age, many of us are trained—conditioned, really—to accept things as they are. To listen to the voices of authority, trust the experts, follow the rules, believe what we’re told. Questioning isn’t rewarded. In fact, it’s often treated like rebellion. Disrespect. Heresy. Trouble.
But me? I seem wired to question everything. At least as an adult I seem to be. I was quite the rule follower as a young girl. I remember trying to ask questions a few times, but I was quickly shut down. So I did what many of us do—I played along.
These days, I question aspects of religion. Of medicine. Of nutrition. Of power. I question what we’re taught to trust, and I question why certain things are off-limits to question in the first place. I may not always vocalize those questions but I'm definitely paying attention and asking them. It impacts my behavior and my decisions.
I’m not trying to be difficult but when my spirit doesn’t feel aligned with what I hear, observe, read or experience, I'm no longer going to play along.
Wasn’t Jesus like that?
That might ruffle feathers, but let’s sit with it. Jesus didn’t seem interested in blind belief. He challenged religious leaders, broke social rules, asked hard questions, and made a lot of powerful people uncomfortable. He wasn’t trying to fit in—he was trying to wake people up.
Maybe he never said those exact words—“Question everything”—but when you look at how he lived, it’s all over the place. He questioned religious leaders who used their authority to shame and control. He questioned rules that excluded people from belonging. He questioned systems that prioritized profit over people. He flipped tables—literally and figuratively. I honestly think Jesus was far less interested in blind belief than he was in people discovering truth for themselves.
He wasn’t asking people to just accept what they’d been taught. He was asking them to wake up.
That thread—waking up—is something I’ve also found in a spiritual text I’ve been exploring over the past couple of years called A Course in Miracles. It teaches that real learning is often unlearning—that we must question not only the world but our own perceptions and judgements, especially those rooted in fear.
Remember critical thinking?
At some point, we stopped valuing it. Or maybe we never really did. It’s a word I hear bantered about but rarely do I see evidence of it.
Critical thinking isn’t just an academic skill—it’s the ability to analyze, discern, and stay curious. To look past the surface. To recognize when something doesn’t quite add up. It’s how we sift through noise and find what’s actually true. And let’s be honest—most of us weren’t taught how to do that. We were taught how to comply. How to memorize. How to repeat back the “right” answer.
The current system tends to punish both Question Everything and Critical Thinking mindsets. Why? Because systems of control—whether in politics, religion, media, or education—thrive on passive agreement.
Critical thinking complicates that.
- Schools often reward compliance and memorization over analysis.
- Religious institutions sometimes treat questions as rebellion or sin.
- Media often incentivizes outrage and simplicity over nuance.
- Social media algorithms reward echo chambers, not deep reflection.
But critical thinking is the engine behind questioning everything. It’s not conspiracy theory thinking. It’s not cynicism. It’s not rebellion for the sake of rebellion. Maybe it’s a kind of integrity.
What happens when we ask some questions like..?
- Hold on... does this actually make sense? Not only to me, but in general?
- Who benefits from this narrative?
- Is what I’m being told even the truth? Am I being discerning?
That voice that says:
- Don’t rock the boat
- You’ll lose people
- You’re being too much
Keep paying attention. Keep asking. Keep listening.
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