Life, like engineering, is full of complexities. But over time, I’ve learned that the real challenge isn’t in solving the problems themselves – it’s in understanding why they exist in the first place. For me, this principle of starting with “why” isn’t just a tool in my professional toolkit as an engineer; it’s become a way of thinking about the world and the people in it. It’s how I make sense of things and how I approach the everyday intricacies of life. I’ve realized that asking the right questions, especially the “why” questions, turns chaos into clarity.
In engineering, there’s this unshakable belief that every problem has a solution. We know that if you dig deep enough, analyze carefully, and apply the right methods, you’ll find a way to make things work. This same belief shapes how I see human potential. I firmly believe people are just as capable of amazing things if given the right incentives and the right encouragement.
The key is figuring out their motivation, in understanding their “why.”
Starting with “why” allows me to break down any problem – whether it’s a technical challenge or a human one – into manageable parts. It’s like reverse-engineering a puzzle, breaking it down piece by piece to see how it all fits together. This is where the “5 Why” technique comes into play. In my world, this isn’t just a technique to identify a flaw in a system; it’s how I approach people and situations.
Asking “why” repeatedly until you uncover the root cause of someone’s actions or decisions gives you insight into their motivations. You start to see what drives them, what keeps them going, and sometimes, what’s holding them back.
Just as engineering solutions are based on understanding the forces and laws at play, human behavior can also be mapped out if you understand what motivates someone. People, unlike machines, aren’t mechanical. They’re not predictable. But they’re driven by a unique set of values, experiences, and desires that, once understood, give you a way to work with them rather than against them.
The beauty of the “why” process is that it puts people at the center of everything. It’s not about imposing solutions or dictating behavior; it’s about creating a framework where they can see their own motivations clearly. It’s about making them the owners of their own process. Instead of being part of the conversation, they become the conversation. And when people feel like they’re heard and understood, you often get the bare minimum – an acknowledgment that maybe they need to shift their perspective. That’s powerful. Even if they don’t fully change, that acknowledgment means they’ve started thinking about it.
This approach of letting people own their journey reflects something I’ve come to realize over time: change is a personal process. You can’t rush it, and you can’t force it. People will change when they are ready, and the best thing you can do is be there to guide them, provide perspective, and offer support when they need it. The effort and the process have to come from them.
What’s interesting is how much this philosophy and process mirrors what we do in engineering. We don’t just design solutions and walk away. We iterate, adjust, and refine based on what the system tells us. Human beings are no different. They need space to work things out at their own pace, and our job is to give them the tools and the support to do so.
At its core, starting with “why” isn’t just a powerful framework for understanding problems; it’s a way of living. It’s about asking better questions, not just to fix things, but to truly understand them. This mindset has helped me navigate the complexities of life just as much as it helps me in my work. The ability to break down issues, whether they are mechanical, social, or personal, into their fundamental parts and to ask the right questions is the engineer’s gift – and it applies far beyond the drawing board.
I often think of Newton’s first law – an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an external force. This principle is as true for people as it is for physics. Once someone’s motivated, once they’ve found their why, they’ll keep moving, sometimes even without realizing it. Our role isn’t to force that motion but to create the conditions where it can happen naturally.
In the end, understanding the “why” behind something is the closest we come to making sense of it all. It’s not always easy, and it’s rarely straightforward, but it’s always worth it. It’s how we move from seeing life as a series of challenges to understanding it as a system that can be worked through, one step at a time, one question at a time.
For me, that’s what makes both engineering and life so incredibly rewarding.