The question that cuts through every explanation
Everyone has a reason. Not everyone gets the prize.
Think about the last time you were puzzled by someone's behavior: a colleague's decision, a corporate announcement, a political move, even a personal interaction. You probably asked yourself why they did it.
But there's an older, sharper question that might have served you better.
Cui bono. To whose benefit?
Most conversations rely on familiar questions. "Why did you do that?" reveals explanations and justifications. "What for?" —a question I've explored before— uncovers stated goals and purpose.
But there's a third question that completes the set: Who benefits from this?
The Three-Question Hierarchy
"Why" questions get you reasons. "Because I'm tired." "Because it seemed like a good idea." "Because that's how we've always done it." These tell you about someone's internal state but they're often incomplete or misleading.
"What for" questions get you stated purposes. "To improve efficiency." "To help the team." "To serve the public good." These sound more substantial, but they're still what someone wants you to believe.
"Who benefits" questions get you evidence. They cut through the noise of motivation and stated purpose to reveal the actual stakes. Follow the advantage, and you'll understand the real game being played.
It Works Everywhere
A dinner invitation? Sure, hospitality is real. But who benefits from having you there? Maybe they need a buffer with difficult relatives. Maybe they're hoping you'll introduce them to your boss.
A corporate restructuring? The stated goal is always "efficiency" or "customer focus." But who gains power, budget, or influence?
A political proposal? Rhetoric talks about the public good. But ask: if this passes, who wins? The answer will tell you more than a thousand position papers.
Why This Works
The brilliance of cui bono is that it sidesteps the entire theater of stated intentions. While everyone else is debating whether someone "really meant" what they said, you're already looking at the scoreboard.
Benefits don't lie. They leave tracks clearer than words, harder to erase.
People misstate their motivations; sometimes deliberately, often without knowing it. They spin their purposes to sound noble, logical, or fair.
But benefits? Benefits are observable. They leave tracks.
When you ask cui bono, you're not guessing at motives. You're looking at results. You're following the money, the power, the access. You're noticing who comes out ahead when the dust settles.
This works across every scale. The colleague who volunteers for a high-visibility project "to help the team" might genuinely believe that's their motivation. But who gets the career boost? The politician championing education reform might truly care about children. But whose districts get the new funding, and whose allies get the contracts?
The Real Power
Understanding who benefits doesn't mean every action is selfish or every motive corrupt. Rather it strips away the fog of explanation and reveal what's really at stake.
There's something liberating about this approach. It frees you from having to be a mind reader or parse elaborate justifications. You don't need to figure out if someone is lying, self-deluded, or completely sincere. The benefits speak for themselves.
Next time you find yourself puzzled, try skipping the guesswork. Skip the story-spinning.
Ask the question: Cui bono? To whose benefit?
And when it's your action under the spotlight, do you know who stands to gain? The hardest part might be applying this lens to your own choices, especially when you've built a narrative around serving others or pursuing principles. But that discomfort is usually a sign you're onto something important.
Cui bono doesn't make you cynical. It makes you honest about how the world works.
You're not guessing anymore. You're just watching who wins.
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note: Cicero uses the phrase Cui bono, quoting Cassius Longinus.