WHY? A little three- letter word that isn’t used enough in Ireland these days. Yet it’s one of the most important tools in business, journalism and general society.

As a rule, this question should be asked three times in a row as a retort to the first two responses. it’s surprisingly effective in garnering a final answer that is often much closer to the roots of many actions or decisions. In a world where initial answers are generally measured and manicured by PR managers and so become meaningless, it’s not until the third explanation that any depth begins to register.

Perhaps when we look back on the events in Ireland of the last decade we might consider we didn’t ask why enough – and of enough people. We weren’t demanding enough of our politicians, our bankers or our social and moral guardians.

Its importance to innovation should not be disregarded either. While we like to consider ourselves a well-educated nation, we can often ignore an education system still tethered to learning by rote.

What we need now is a society and education system that heralds an inquisitive nation. We should constantly question and assess, looking for solutions not only to political dilemmas but also in everyday life. It’s through the constant search for answers that science and innovation progress.

Previous eras of enlightened innovation sprung from a collection of inventors and groups who quizzed the nature and reason for life and every hindrance or perceived difficulty in it.

What we need is an age of inquisitiveness. Some of the most successful business leaders in recent decades to originate from Ireland were prepared to challenge and question the norms. It’s not about being rude, brash, or arrogant – merely seeking to delve deeper into the reasoning behind decisions, the direction and approaches being taken and the hurdles that prevent society from moving on. From the founders of modern science through to the creators of the IT revolution, only by questioning and challenging the norms can society develop and improve.