Why, not What

The primary application of this post and concept is for when you see something that you like. If you’re surfing the ‘Gram and see something interesting, ask why that person chose that option, not just what it is. This goes double for when you see something that looks out of place or entirely wrong. The obvious exception being “That’s what I’ve been looking for! What is it, and where can I get it?“.

The reason to ask ‘why’ is the verification of reasoning. Usually a person’s reasons will be based in some level of critical thinking, and they are usually willing to let you know what those reasons are. When that person gives you their reasoning you can:

#1 See if they’re working off of old/bad/debunked/incomplete information

#2 See if you’re working off of old/bad/debunked/incomplete information

Are They Working With Bad Info?

This typical Q&A I see on Instagram 10 times a week perfectly illustrates #1:

anon1547: “What length barrel should I get for my AR build?”

IGmmSMG: “I like [insert number between 7.5 and 20] inch barrels.”

anon1547: “Thanks!”

My Insta feed

What did anon get? Why does IGmmSMG like 12.5″ barrels? Did he pick 12.5″ because he’s an idiot? Did he decide upon 14.5″ barrels because ‘That’s what the Army uses!’? Does he think that long barrels can’t be used indoors? Does he think that short barrels can’t be accurate? What balance point does he like? Why does he like it there? Does he even realize where his guns balance? Does he suggest everyone run SBRs, or does he think there’s a place for 18″ barrels? Does Mr. SMG think there’s much benefit to heavier bullets, or is he a “55gr all the way” kinda guy? We don’t know, and because of that we end up having more questions than answers. To be completely honest, we can’t trust that his answer even works for us in our specific application.

Side note: I’m not trying to blame the the IGer for the lack of info. In this instance, he’s simply providing only what was requested. It is always the duty of the questioner to ask the right question.

Are You Working With Bad Info?

I’ll use myself as an example for #2. A little while back I had a similar Q&A with Matt in the comment section at Everyday Marksman. He suggests using a medium weight 16″ barrel for RECCE-style rifles. I asked why the preference of medium weight instead of a pencil profile? A RECCE rifle is an accuracy-slanted weapon, but it’s got a 16″ barrel instead of an 18″ barrel for a reason, to reduce weight. Why compromise that? His response is as follows:

When shooting a Recce from field positions, I found the combination of increased magnification and very light barrels to be a disadvantage. The front end didn’t settle as well and small movements were frustratingly hard to manage through the scope. I’ve not had similar issues with roles that had a slightly more forward balance.
On the flip side, those light barrels and snappier movement were great when speed was the priority over accuracy.

Matt

Could you ask for a better answer? He went into the ‘why’ of his choice, not just the ‘what’. I could see what his thought process was. It showed me that he had put thought and his own real-world experience into his choices for barrel selection and tailored it to this very specific application. From his response I knew that he had better info than I did for this purpose. Furthermore, we can now apply that info to our own lives.

I’m in the (very) early stages of building a pair of ARs out of my existing rifle, so I’ll use myself as the example. I’m trying to build 2 guns, one for stable, long distance shooting and one for dynamic, short distance shooting.

The barrel of the long distance gun is an 18″ light/medium combo profile. It’s not quite the medium weight Matt specc’ed for a RECCE, but it’s also 2″ longer. The balance point on it will be plenty far forward, hopefully allowing the rifle to settle better when position shooting.

The second, shorter gun will have a shorter barrel, not because I can’t maneuver around doors w/ a 16″ barrel, but for the benefit that instability brings to such a role. I’ll also be putting a silencer on this gun, so starting short helps. Hopefully the change of balance from adding the can doesn’t ruin the handling.

Not Just Guns, Obviously

I use this aspect of asking ‘why’ in my day job. I’m given unusual and unfamiliar part numbers to use on a weekly, if not daily, basis. I always ask ‘why’ when I can. It lets me understand my business better and makes me a more informed and more useful person.

Asking why isn’t the easy way. The easy way is just ‘give me a part number’ and having no further understanding. Asking why and understanding what you’re doing takes time, and it takes mental cycles to process. It requires engaging your brain. I’m not being facetious when I say that it’s not for everybody, but if you’re this far into this post you’re probably the kind of person who enjoys learning new things.

I’ll freely admit that there are times where I’ve been the ‘just tell me what I want’ guy. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to understand, sometimes it’s because I’m lazy, but I try to understand why I’m doing what I’m doing. It allows me to make better decisions next time. It frees up other people from doing work that I can now do myself, making their workload less and ultimately saving us both time in the future. Sometimes it’s hard to get the info out of someone who is also busy, so keep that in mind.

Asking ‘what’ instead of ‘why’ is fundamentally asking someone else to do your critical thinking for you. I’m a huge fan of self-reliance, and asking others to do my thinking for me goes against every fiber of my being.

Conclusion

When it comes right down to it, asking ‘why’ is investing in yourself. You’re spending time in order to make yourself a better human being. You never know when that little tidbit of info you snagged years ago in an offhand conversation will become crucial, so gather as many of them as you can.

(My kids aren’t yet at the stage where they ask ‘why’ a million times, so my fondness for the word might drop a lot in the next few years.)

See you next Friday. -S_S