The power of a question.

In the book Fahrenheit 451, Clarisse McClellan is quite the oddball in society. She is highly unliked by her peers and teachers. The reason being is that she would rather ask why, rather than just follow blindly.
In our world, From the beginning of our school days, we are told by our teachers that "No question is a dumb question,"or so we are told.
But what happens to those people who do ask those difficult questions? Well, it depends on the society and the context. In a country where active questioning is suppressed, a mere why could bring about a severe punishment. In those countries, for survival purposes, It would be wise to keep your mouth shut. If you cant do that, the next best thing would be to cover your eyes and ears or have a memory that is becomes genetically selective.
In our country, we have the priviledge to question. But we also have to face the consequences of questioning. Maybe the consequences would not be as drastic as being tortured to death or being thrown in jail, but there are still consequences. Questioning is difficult especially when the other party doesnt want to here your question.
Why does the word why have such a power to invoke such a fury? Well, for starters, nobody really likes to leave their comfort zone. I for one like being comfortable. Even nature likes to be comfortable. For those of you who have taken organic chemistry, you know that molecules prefer to be in a state that has the lowest energy possible. So nature too is just naturally lazy. So when we ask an authority figure why they are doing something, or why something is the way it is, it throws that natural state of energy out of balance. Now, the other party is in a higher state of energy and probably not happy even though our question really wasnt meant to infuriate. After that, a few results can occur.
1.) Nothing happens. This is highly unlikely because something always happens.
2.) You disturbed the figure so much in your why's that it brings them to also question why.
3.) The disturbed figure became overly disturbed and in order not to feel that way again, will bring about personal changes and social changes so that they will avoid the ever threatening why as much as possible in future settings.
Setting two has the potential to bring about the ideas of democracy and checks and balances. Setting three has the potential to sway toward dictatorship, communism, and theocracies.

How exactly does this apply to the realms of academia? The world of academics in all settings should be the fairest of situations. It is a haven where you can question and challenge. It is an area that can help in personal growth. But when the right to question and challenge is taken away or suppressed, we no longer become active in our learning. We are only followers of what we are told and that again becomes counterintuitive. In the middle ages, the earth was the center and the sun revolved around the earth. That was common knowledge just as 2+2=4. To question that was only for the insane and heretical. Those who may have thought otherwise kep there mouth shut for fear of retribution. But it was only because of those who risked everything to ask why and how the sun really revolved around the earth do we now know different.

For me, I don't think my life is going to ever be as so drastic. I am a simple person with simple problems. I ask questions to learn and not to threaten. In my simple ideals, I prefer to ask the stupidest questions and risk the consequences of peer ridicule rather than suppress my questions and have the long term consequence of remaining ignorant and fearful. It is what we believe it is.