It's snow.1
White, frozen droplets, glittering and glistening and glimmering all around you... isn't it beautiful? Falling, dancing, swirling, twirling... it even makes the cold beautiful.
Do you really mean that?
Alright, fine. Maybe I'm being a little too fancy. This cold is horrible. But the snow is beautiful!
The exclamation mark. Do you really mean that? You're not really excited. You just want to act excited because that's what you think people are supposed to do when they see snow for the first time.
But I -
Do you really mean that? Do you really mean that objection? You know you agree with yourself. Or do you? No, wait, of course you do. No, see, the point is, see, you're not feeling what you ought to be feeling.
Do you really mean that?
What does that mean?
You don't know, do you, because since when are you ever honest with yourself, even in your thoughts?
I lie to myself.
Do you really mean that? Or are you just actually an honest guy who's making a big deal out of nothing? This is confusing.
Do you really mean that?2
3
Am I doing something wrong?
You're wondering if it's your fault again. And maybe it is. You should have made that call to Lindsey, met him in his office, really worked on him, made him do his job, and maybe the project would have worked out like it should have.
But I it's not up to me to make a man do his work. I'm not even team leader.
You knew how crucial his task was.
Am I doing something wrong? Maybe I'm just thinking about this the wrong way. It's not my fault. I am doing the best I can.
Or am I doing something wrong? Am I not working hard enough, and do people see since I'M slacking off, they can too? Maybe i shouldn't have spent that evening with Lucy, what with everything I needed to do. I didn't work hard enough.
Am I doing something wrong? Am I not motivating myself hard enough? Am I thinking straight?
Am I doing something wrong?4
5
How does that make the world a better place?
If I give money to this beggar, he's going to buy himself a meal. That's it, thing done, and nothing changes. He is not going to die if I don't drop my spare change into his hand.
Say I got more involved. Gave all my money to this man. How does that make the world a better place? I'd be poor, and I doubt this man would use my money any better than I do. Imagine, say, I we could somehow be equally rich, by magic or something. How does that make the world a better place? Money solves nothing, really. Having money doesn't make things better, it's screwed up the lives of so many people already. I'm going to keep my money with me.
But how does that make the world a better place?
I'm not doing anything with my money, except serving me, and I ought to do something more. What use is my life if I don't make the world a better place? Maybe I'll quit my job and start working in a children's shelter.
How does that make the world a better place? What if all the tire salesmen in the world quit their jobs and started doniting money to charity? The system would start breaking down! There is a system, it works, and charity is outside the system, something for nothing. No, I'll just do the best I can and be nicer.
How does that make the world a better place?6
7
What is the most dangerous question in the world? It's a question that can be asked over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again, while never ever being able to reach a coclusive answer.8
An alternate answer, for humour's sake: The most dangerous question in the world is asking what the most dangerous question in the world is. Because humans, in their suicidal curiosity, will find an answer.
Author notes
It might be a bit confusing, reading through, but I wanted that inner monologue effect, which is never very clear, especially on pronouns.
A contest entry
- Dangerous Question by CactusJack.
100 points, ended January 13, 10 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
