The first step on the path to greatness is simple: ask the important questions.

But, apparently, taking this first step is difficult. Most people don’t ask the important questions until they’re quite old. Some of the excuses are:

  • Why care? I’m young. Let’s have fun.
  • I’ll think about those later. I’m swamped with work.
  • My parents say I should do these. So I will do those first before asking things.

Only after they have enough wealth, adoring friends and family, respectful colleagues and underlings (only after they are 40 or older), do they start asking the important questions. And a lot of them is not lucky enough to achieve those things. And some that actually do climb the Maslow hierarchy of needs don’t ask the important questions either.

There are, of course, some unfortunate exceptions. People who are very sensitive and inquisitive. People who are exposed to enough pain. People who witness enough tragedies. They might just break or die, or they might start asking the important questions. Sometimes, if they’re unlucky, they might start asking at an early age or in their teenage years. If they’re a bit luckier, they’ll start asking after they are 40 or older.

So what are these important questions? Here are some examples:

  • What am I? What is life? What is my life?
  • What is the universe? What is the purpose of life?
  • What are the systems that govern us? How do they work? Why are they designed to work as they currently do? What are the vulnerabilities of those systems?
  • What is free will? Why do humans move in such predictable patterns even when they have free will? What are my predictable patterns? How can I ensure that my life doesn’t end in tragedy given my predictable patterns?

These and many more are important questions we should start asking if we want to get into the path of greatness.

After that, we need to make our own answers to that questions and make sure they’re the most correct answer given the knowledge and wisdom that we currently have. These answers are the path to our own greatness.

Finally, we “just” have to follow those answers to the conclusion. And the conclusion is your own brand of greatness.

“Ugh… Joe… Why are you thinking about this stuff? Let’s just go out and have fun!”