The importance of - What, How or Why? ?

Question

Do you think it is more important to know what you are doing (or trying to do) without knowing why?

OR

More important to know why you are doing something (or trying to) without knowing what or how?

Answer 1

If I understand you correctly your asking is it more important to have purpose or feeling you have a goal that maybe just for the sake of having one, but without knowing why (eg join the military or being good at your job)

OR to intimately understand your goal and why it is important to you, without knowing how you will achieve it (eg solving world poverty or curing cancer)

I think the latter is more important because the former way of thinking is more prone to falling into a pattern of jumping into anything without any real considerations, the why is more important than the how. Even wanting to cure cancer for example and knowing why its so paramount is more important than the fact you may not be able to ever do it. Because if you are sufficiently inspired then you will find a way to do it, and push yourself through every challenge.

However if you know your job or are in a position of power and have no real purpose then you dont understand the why, and it will forever plague you into bad decisions and unfulfillment. Having no direction, no purpose or no drive is a sure way to get stuck, even the best doctors, lawyers and scientists get stuck if they forget or give up on why what their doing is so important to them.

Answer 2

I think the the answer is somewhere in between. Because, one without the other, becomes less meaningful.  

Answer 3

its important to know both what and why i think

Answer 4

its more important for me to know why, i will figure out the how or what.

Answer 5

one is spinning donuts in the sand without purpose and direction.

Answer 6

Well as long as i know what i'm doing and why you shouldn't find out about it.