I love you because…

Do you remember how as kids we always (the more annoying among us anyway) asked why-questions? Mommy, what is that dog doing on top of another dog? Er…they are making friends. Why? Coz everybody needs friends. Why? Coz we need to talk to someone and feel belonged. Why? Coz we don’t really wanna end up in the abyss of loneliness. Why? Coz we will spend a lot of money on prozac to make us feel good again. Why? Coz we desire it.

More recently, moving into more adult environs, I discover the reason why why-questions arise is because adults are deliberately vague. Sentences beg further elaboration. It’s very much a verbal version of penny wise, pound foolish that compromises the virtues of clarity and word economy. You must invest in this company because it has tremendous growth. Why? Because they are selling phones that make perfect half-boiled eggs. Why do people want that? Because it’s healthy and cool. Why do people want health and coolness? Somehow they just do.

The tipping point of why-questioning is when objectivity moves into subjectivity. When dependency moves into in-dependency. When effect moves into cause. At the tipping point, reason becomes a free agent, further questioning becomes either futile or academic or both. The tipping point is the place of desires, choice and instinct. The tipping-point can be reached right away by injecting economy into the opening sentence: this company is investible because they sell cool Boilr phones that promote health. Or: We make love to feel happy.

Why do I love you? I just do.

15 comments December 16th, 2006