E is for Enquiry

I’m not talking about the judicial kind, that purports to find facts and then seeks retribution, compensation, apology and changes in the law (though I understand the purpose and importance of these if they’re conducted well).

No, I mean enquiry as opposed to assuming you know the answer already; enquiry as opposed to being too frightened to ask; enquiry as opposed to believing your opinion is the one that matters, along with winning the argument.

Enquiry is easy, both self-enquiry and enquiry of others. All it requires is an open mind, an interest in ideas that aren’t already your own, and the courage to go somewhere you might not have thought of. The upsides are learning over the reinforcement of your beliefs, development over stasis, and the chance to understand what you’ll never get by guessing.