Thoughts Run Wild Without Worrying: The Importance of Asking Unanswerable Questions by C. S. Lewis

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Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.

C. S. Lewis

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Thoughts Run Wild Without Worrying: The Importance of Asking Unanswerable Questions by C. S. Lewis Discover the joy and importance of asking unanswerable questions as C. S. Lewis encourages us to push the boundaries of knowledge and explore the mysteries of the world. Asking questions, even the silliest ones, leads to growth, deep thoughts, and a never-ending journey of discovery. So, let your thoughts run wild without worrying and embrace the beauty of wondering.

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Meaning of Quote – Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.

Do you ever wonder about things that might not have clear answers? Maybe you’ve thought of a question so tricky, so complex, that no one, not even the smartest person you know, could give you a solid answer. You know who C. S. Lewis is, right? He was the author who took us on wonderful adventures to Narnia, a magical land with talking animals and epic battles between good and evil. But Lewis wasn’t just about creating fantastic stories; he also had a big brain for big thoughts, and he liked to ponder some of life’s trickiest questions.

In one of his quotes, he says, “Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable.” You might giggle thinking about a nonsense question, like asking what color the number seven smells like, or how to hear a painting. Obviously, these questions don’t make much sense, and that’s what Lewis is getting at – there are questions that even someone with unlimited knowledge wouldn’t answer simply because they don’t have a straight answer to begin with.

Now, let’s dive deeper into what C. S. Lewis meant and why it can be both fun and important to ask questions, even the ones that seem silly or “unanswerable.”

Question Everything, the Path to Discovery

Asking questions is how humans learn and grow. From the moment we start speaking as kids, we bombard our parents, teachers, and anyone who’ll listen with “Why?” “How come?” “What’s that?” It’s a sign of curiosity, the itch to know more about the world and everything in it. Throughout history, some of the biggest discoveries and inventions have come from people asking questions that others hadn’t thought to ask, or dared to.

Great scientists like Isaac Newton or Marie Curie didn’t just accept the world as it was shown to them. They poked and prodded at it with their questions like “Why do things fall to the ground?” and “What’s this glowy stuff?” Sometimes, the questions we ask lead to answers we never expected, and sometimes they lead to even more questions. It’s like going on an adventure, but instead of crossing deserts and oceans, you’re exploring ideas.

Nonsense Questions or Mirrors to Our Minds?

When Lewis talks about nonsense questions, it’s like he’s winking at us. He knows that they might seem silly, but he’s also acknowledging that sometimes they can reveal quite a bit. Ever joined in a late-night conversation where you and your friends concoct the wildest, silliest questions? Those are the moments when you really start thinking outside the box, stretching your creativity and imagination muscles.

Some of the most interesting conversations happen when we ask questions that don’t have easy answers. It forces us to consider things from different angles and can lead to deep thoughts about life, existence, and our place in the universe. It makes us ponder whether there are some queries that are so complex, so beyond our understanding, that we might never find an answer – and that’s okay.

It’s Okay Not to Know

Admitting that we don’t have all the answers can actually be liberating. It means that there is always something new to learn. That’s the beauty of knowledge – it’s endless. And when we realize that some questions may not have answers, at least not right now, it encourages us to keep searching, experimenting, and exploring.

This curiosity is what drives scientists and philosophers. They live in a world of “what if?” and “I wonder…” They understand that not knowing is part of the journey and that the quest for knowledge is never really finished.

   

Learning to Ask Good Questions

So, what separates a good question from a nonsense one? Good questions often lead us to explore and learn. They make us think and can sometimes even challenge what we believe to be true. They don’t have to have an immediate answer, but they should be answerable in theory, at least. For example, asking about the existence of life on other planets is a good question – it’s something we can potentially discover with science and exploration.

On the flip side, a question like “Can an immovable object be moved by an unstoppable force?” is often considered a classic example of a nonsense question. It involves contradictory ideas that can’t both be true, so it doesn’t really have an answer that can be discovered or proven.

The Joy of Wondering

Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear night and let your mind wander? That feeling of awe and wonder is powerful. It’s something that C. S. Lewis felt strongly about – the beauty of simply wondering about the universe, about God, about all the big “what ifs” out there.

Sometimes, the joy is not in finding the answer, but in the experience of wondering and imagining what could be possible. It can be refreshing to just let your thoughts run wild without worrying about finding a concrete answer.

Conclusion: Keep Asking

C. S. Lewis had a knack for making us think, for pushing us to ask those hard-to-answer questions. Remember that it’s awesome to ask all kinds of questions – even the ones that seem a bit strange or don’t have clear answers. That’s how we push the boundaries of what we know, how we grow, and how we keep the wonder alive.

Whether we’re pondering the mysteries of the universe, the depths of the ocean, or the complexities of human emotions, each question is a step on the path of learning. Some questions might lead to dead ends or open up new mysteries, but that’s part of the adventure. So stay curious, keep wondering, and never stop asking – because asking questions is how we discover our world and ourselves.

   

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