"The deeper a thing is, the more interesting it is"

Physicist Richard Feynman tries to explain to a non-scientist just how difficult it can be to answer certain questions in lay terms. He explains what happens when you keep asking, "Why?"



"The deeper a thing is, the more interesting it is." Love that. Actually, Feynman's answer reminded me of this:



Asking "why?" a lot is also a popular technique in the biz world: 5 Whys is a theory that you should ask why at least five times to find out the root cause of a problem. ("If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers.)

Toyota has used this approach for years too: "By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear." (Maybe Toyota isn't the best example to use right now as a demonstration of successful problem solving, eh?)

Back to standup: The more you ask "Why?", the deeper and more interesting your bits will be. Why does this matter? Because you want to be interesting on stage. Why? Because then people will pay more attention to you. Why? Because you're offering them something that not a lot of comics give them. Why? Because you're not just talking about silly shit, you're talking about stuff that matters. Why? Because...ah, fuck it.