Question Everything: A Guide to Not Getting Screwed Over by Life

Line Heggelund
Feb 6
3 min read

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who question everything and those who get steamrolled by the people who do. If you’re not in the first category, congratulations—you’re probably someone’s puppet, willingly swallowing whatever nonsense is shoveled into your brain on a daily basis.

George Carlin, the grumpy philosopher of stand-up comedy, made a career out of pointing at the bullshit and saying, “Hey, look! That’s bullshit!” Whether it was politics, religion, consumer culture, or the endless barrage of self-help nonsense, Carlin had one rule: question everything. And if you don’t, well, you’re probably part of the problem.

The Comfortable Lie vs. The Uncomfortable Truth

Most people prefer the comfortable lie over the uncomfortable truth. Why? Because the truth is a pain in the ass. It forces you to think. It forces you to admit you might be wrong. It forces you to get off your ass and do something. Lies, on the other hand, are cozy. They let you stay exactly where you are, surrounded by all your favorite delusions.

Carlin once said, “Don’t just teach your children to read. Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.” That’s the kind of mindset that separates people who run the show from the people who get played.

The Matrix Effect: Red Pill or Blue Pill?

If you’ve ever watched The Matrix, you know the moment I’m talking about. Morpheus offers Neo a choice: take the blue pill and stay blissfully ignorant in the illusion, or take the red pill and see reality for what it is—messy, uncomfortable, but undeniably real.

Most people take the blue pill every day without even realizing it. They scroll through their social media feeds, watch the news, and accept whatever information they’re given without a second thought. They accept the system, the rules, and the structures as if they were inevitable.

But if you take the red pill, you start to see the cracks. You start to ask, "Who benefits from my ignorance? " You realize that a lot of what you’ve been told is designed to keep you complacent and easy to control.

Who’s Benefiting from Your Blind Faith?

If someone tells you something with absolute certainty, your first reaction should be: "Who benefits if I believe this?" If you follow the money, the power, or the influence, you’ll usually find the answer.

Politicians want your votes. So they tell you what you want to hear.
Religious institutions want your obedience. So they package their beliefs as unquestionable truths.
Corporations want your money. So they convince you that happiness is one Amazon purchase away.
Social media platforms want your attention. So they spoon-feed you a never-ending buffet of rage-bait.

If you don’t question the system, congratulations: you’re a loyal, well-functioning cog in someone else’s machine.

The Power of “Why?”

The simplest way to start questioning everything is to use the power of why. It’s the most annoying word in existence, but also the most powerful.

Why do I need a college degree to be successful?
Why do I have to work 40 hours a week?
Why do people think billionaires are our heroes?
Why does society shame aging women but celebrate aging men?
Why do we accept that politicians lie as a normal part of their job?

If a system falls apart the moment you start asking questions, that system was never built on truth to begin with.

How to Stop Being a Gullible Idiot

Stop believing things just because they feel good.
- Just because an idea makes you comfortable doesn’t mean it’s true.
Learn how manipulation works.
- If you don’t understand propaganda, marketing psychology, and cult tactics, you’re easy to control.
Read different perspectives.
- If you only consume information that confirms what you already believe, congratulations—you’ve built your own mental prison.
Embrace uncertainty.
- It’s okay to not have all the answers. In fact, it’s better than thinking you do.
Call out the bullshit.
- When you see a system that’s broken, don’t just accept it—poke at it. Expose it. Laugh at it. George Carlin did, and he became a legend.

Final Thought: Don’t Be a Sucker

The world is full of people trying to sell you their version of reality. Some do it with a suit and tie, others with a microphone, and some with a well-edited TikTok. Your job is to be the person who looks at it all and says, "Wait a minute... that sounds like bullshit."

Because chances are—it probably is...