Infinite Cycles of Questioning

[Eldanen]

Hi guys. I've had a problem recently. I've been questioning a lot of my beliefs, and it seems as though the process of questioning has become compulsive to me, to the point of losing sleep and peace over the matter. I've been asking myself how I can know X, Y, Z, and everything under the sun. How can I account for this, this, that, that, and the other. Now, I know it's impossible to account for everything, so I'm trying to break the cycle. Any advice from those who have been through this before, questioning everything?

Thanks.

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Eldanen

Hi guys. I've had a problem recently. I've been questioning a lot of my beliefs, and it seems as though the process of questioning has become compulsive to me, to the point of losing sleep and peace over the matter. I've been asking myself how I can know X, Y, Z, and everything under the sun. How can I account for this, this, that, that, and the other. Now, I know it's impossible to account for everything, so I'm trying to break the cycle. Any advice from those who have been through this before, questioning everything?

Thanks.

I've questioned everything since I was 3 years old, when my favorite question was 'Why?' That has not changed, though I have admittedly learned to curb my curiosity. I see nothing wrong with it, as long as it is not totally disturbing or destructive. I think it's a normal part of the growth process.

[Eldanen]

Originally Posted by Little Linguist

I've questioned everything since I was 3 years old, when my favorite question was 'Why?' That has not changed, though I have admittedly learned to curb my curiosity. I see nothing wrong with it, as long as it is not totally disturbing or destructive. I think it's a normal part of the growth process.

Well, as I said, I've lost a lot of sleep and peace due to it.

[Little Linguist]

Originally Posted by Eldanen

Well, as I said, I've lost a lot of sleep and peace due to it.

Why?

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Originally Posted by Eldanen

Hi guys. I've had a problem recently. I've been questioning a lot of my beliefs, and it seems as though the process of questioning has become compulsive to me, to the point of losing sleep and peace over the matter. I've been asking myself how I can know X, Y, Z, and everything under the sun. How can I account for this, this, that, that, and the other. Now, I know it's impossible to account for everything, so I'm trying to break the cycle. Any advice from those who have been through this before, questioning everything?

Thanks.

You are an ENTP, so it is natural for you to question everything without ever coming to a solid conclusion. The problem with this though is that ENTP's still need some type of anchor, i.e. some type of solid center to give ourselves at least a little bit of structure and consistency. What I did was I kept searching and searching until I found some type of foundational belief that I felt was solid, and I could really invest myself into. It took me a good while to find it, but the search was well worth the time and effort. That is what I suggest you do.

"Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you."

[nolla]

I think I know what you mean. I suppose the key is to accept the uncertainty and settle with some basic ideas of how things work (even though they are your own ideas and not really true). Create your own life philosophy.

[Mort Belfry]

Originally Posted by Eldanen

I've been asking myself how I can know X, Y, Z, and everything under the sun. How can I account for this, this, that, that, and the other.

The inifinite cycle of questioning ends you when come to realise that you don't know anything, no one does. Everything you "know" is based on "knowing" something else.

[Didums]

Originally Posted by Eldanen

Hi guys. I've had a problem recently. I've been questioning a lot of my beliefs, and it seems as though the process of questioning has become compulsive to me, to the point of losing sleep and peace over the matter. I've been asking myself how I can know X, Y, Z, and everything under the sun. How can I account for this, this, that, that, and the other. Now, I know it's impossible to account for everything, so I'm trying to break the cycle. Any advice from those who have been through this before, questioning everything?

Thanks.

Questions need answers, you need to go buy some books about the subjects you are questioning.

[Beat]

I'm going to assume that the questions you are asking, are unfortunately the ones that just don't have definitive answers. You have two options: 1. To spend the rest of your life questioning with uncertainty or 2. To adopt a system of beliefs/morals/ethics and so on, and convince yourself that questioning further is no longer necessary. For some option #2 isn't difficult to achieve. If you're anything like me, you'll have to make do knowing that you'll never know.

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by Mort Belfry

The inifinite cycle of questioning ends you when come to realise that you don't know anything, no one does. Everything you "know" is based on "knowing" something else.

Yup. There is nothing certain.

I have had a few religious crises in my life. The first time is when I went back and back and back... and realized I could not prove any of my assumptions. I slowly climbed back out of that -- but the next crash (five years later) was more gradual and far worse.

I had nothing to stand on at all, and that the specifics of my religious beliefs in the past were arbitrary in the sense I could prove none of them. And they were making a horrendous claim and toll on my life... and for what purpose? I couldn't live a life based on things that were no longer obvious to me.

What did I do?

I assessed my life, determined what actual principles I *did* believe and live by no matter what, saw how they aligned with parts of the specific religious beliefs I had held in the past, saw that as continuity, and then let the rest go. (These principles had been derived from my personal experience and thinking over the years, and I realized were the ones I still referenced when I made decisions.)

And I gave myself permission to no longer feel I had to make excuses to others for what I did believe or no longer could believe, nor would put myself down for it. I just accepted where I was.

Is there any way the OP's demands on 'self' are too extreme for what actually is believable to them? trying to hold a POV that you know you can't place that much faith in eventually results in an internal clash/crash.