I think, therefore I am!

This is one quote for René Descartes that got stuck on my head ever since I've heard it on one of the Philosophy lessons I took, about 2 years ago.

"Cogito, ergo sum" translated "I think, therefore I am."

I've always thought, and I guess a lot would agree, that one of the main things that makes us really humans, is our intellect. And that without this, we are just walking, robotic beings who choose to have no choice. That is why this phrase has always been sort of my motto in many things that concern my life.

I'm not exactly talking about the capability to solve hard mathematic problems or producing beautiful prose. But, i'm talking about the "choice" part in our life, the part that we get to analyze things around us or the decisions we are to make, and think about it to determine its points and whether it is right or wrong, necessary or trivial.

I think that most, if not every, thing in our life has many perspectives and basic reasons behind it. And one thing I enjoy a lot is trying to find the reasons behind unclear, questionable things or mysteries.

One thing that irritates me the most is the way some people refuse to think! They shut down their mind and there is never a question or a thought or a new idea.
And what nags me the most is when some others state a "must" or "should be" action or a thing without a clear reason. And when you come to ask, and that sort of how a conversation would be:
-"why?"
-"that's just how it is"!
-"But, did you ever think or attempt to think of it and try to find the reasons behind it?"
-"No, nor do I want to"
-"But why?! And how can you accept something without thinking of it, what if it is wrong or has no basis? Isn't that the reason God created your mind for you and gave you choice?"
-"Well, that's just how it is! I grew up and found it like that, why would I change it or think of it?!"

And that's where I rest my case, sometimes. It reminds me of this nice story I read in a FW e-mail before and it goes something like this:

"One upon a time there was a mother who had one daughter. The little girl always watched her mother cook. Her mother would get the fish and cut off the head and fry them in the pan. The little girl once asked her mother why are you frying the fish in that way? She told her that this is just how she saw her own mother do it and that this is of course the right way.

So when the little girl grew up and began to cook as well, her grandmother was present one day while she was preparing lunch. The grandmother looked at her, puzzled, because of the way she was frying the fish in the pan, and asked her why she is doing it like that? The girl told her grandmother, it's because I've always seen my mom do it like that and it's the right way! The grandmother then laughed and told her, but I've always did it that way only because back then we didn't have a big pan to fit the fish so I cut off its head, and you have a big pan now!"

Now that I'm talking about fish, I'm really hungry!