So Many Questions, So Little Time

        "Judge a man by his questions, not his answers."   -  Voltaire

Love this quote, and love a good question.  One that provokes deeper thinking, a challenge to static opinions, a quest for new possibilities. Especially, of myself.  Questions that further understanding and new learning.  Sometimes I go in search of them.  Other times they pop up at unexpected times and from unexpected sources.  Usually, they serve me well.

So, I find myself pondering several questions regarding this issue of considering alternatives:

• Why can/do I generate alternatives more easily in some areas of my life than in others?
• Why is the generation of alternative approaches or possibilities so satisfying in itself?
• Do I/when do I hang out in possibilities to avoid a difficult decision or to avoid having to take action?
• What criteria can I use to judge when/if I have too many alternatives to consider, or, conversely, too few?
• I dislike, even distrust, either/or thinking - is this at the heart of why our political "debate" infuriates me so much?  Why I also see the polarization as frightening, rather than merely frustrating? 
• Under why conditions am I willing to consider alternatives (whether opinions or recommendations) posed by others?  Under what conditions do I shut down or dismiss outright?  What are the implications - for me, for my relationships?

I want to hang out with these questions for awhile, just pay attention, notice, reflect.  Not settle for the obvious or easy answers.