Here is a quote – I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing.
—Socrates
Curiosity is something mistakenly identified more with stupidity than with knowledge. The person who exhibits this trait knows that he doesn’t know, and that is why he wants to know. It is most commonly found in children and it has often been observed that overly curious people have childlike personalities.
The child is the father of man
Archaeological evidence proves that the human brain evolved to its present shape at least 35,000 years ago25. There’s a high probability that if we bring back a baby from antiquity and raise it according to our modern standards, it would become an indistinguishable part of our society. This is because a child is like a blank paper full of endless possibilities; it observes its surroundings curiously and instinctively adapts to the same.
However, we tend to lose this adaptability as we grow up. We start believing strongly in whatever we know and start opposing whatever seems contradictory to our knowledge. We lose the flux and turn into rigid old adults who think that the world is how they think it is. This is the belief that ultimately leads to stagnation.
Are you in ‘bad faith’?
According to French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre26, to identify ourselves with a particular stereotype is ‘bad faith’. It makes us ignorant of the rich possibilities that the world offers us. For example, it’d be bad faith if, after a long association with a particular job, you start identifying yourself with it. It constrains your horizons. Your task becomes mechanical and you start doing it with the awareness of a robot. Moreover, if it happens by chance that you have to leave the job, you feel like a person robbed of their destiny, and eventually, plunge into an existential crisis.
Everything is constantly changing
Stability and permanence are illusions. The reason children are most curious is that they are constantly changing. Both their bodies and their minds are developing. Every day, they learn something new, which completely changes the way they see things. They have no preconceived opinions about anything and they readily absorb most of what they come across.
When we become adults, we abandon curiosity, especially after being in a stable relationship or getting a stable job. Our lives start developing an illusion of permanence, and we become ignorant to the changes happening within and all around us. Our illusions abide till a strong blow comes and knocks them down. Most of the time, this blow comes when it is too late and when we have already forgotten how to learn.
Why is curiosity necessary?
If we compare it to its tumultuous history, the world has become much more stable now, especially in the last few decades. This stability is one of the great achievements of humanity. But to believe that it will last forever would be stupidity. Events like the 2008 recession have shown how unpredictable the world still is. According to statistics27, a huge cloud of danger is looming over us right now. This danger is technology, which is expected to swallow hundreds of thousands of jobs within just about a decade. By then, if we have failed to learn how to adapt, we might have to face a lot of trouble.
How can curiosity save you?
Within just seven years, every cell in your body will have changed at least once. Everything around you – including your self – is changing. Nothing is the way you think it is. Our opinions are mostly subjective and don’t define the world completely. Just like the world is in a constant state of flux, if we keep our views about it flexible, we will become more aware of its changing nature, and thus stand a lower chance of being taken by surprise.
The bad side of curiosity
Though curiosity is considered a mostly positive trait, it also has a bad side to it. The Internet is something that best exemplifies both the sides. You can get almost every type of information on the internet. But what is most popular there? Silly things such as celebrity gossip, amusing videos, sports, vulgarity and anything else that qualifies as entertainment. If you look at the combined value of all these in the personal development of an individual, it is inconsequential. If we don’t consciously look for something, distractions will lead us astray and devour our attention. Therefore, it is essential that you take control of what you are curious about, otherwise – despite being an essentially curious person – your ability won’t take you anywhere. In short, don’t be an Einstein who is only curious about video games.
Taking control
According to philosopher George Lowenstein, curiosity comes from an information gap28, that is, only a person who already knows something is curious. For example, we are curious about the lives of celebrities because we have already seen them in movies or sitcoms. We feel that we already know about part of their personality, and thus we want to know more about them. Had we not seen them in movies, we wouldn’t have cared about their personal lives, no matter how interesting they were.
Similarly, once you start learning about something – say, a language or a trade – you find so many things about it that you didn’t know previously. This makes you more intelligent, and as your knowledge improves, so does your awareness of the world and of your own ignorance. You gain the ability to look at the world from brand new perspectives. The confusing nature of the world doesn’t confuse you anymore.
Make a start
There’s just one thing you have to do. You have to start. Once you begin and gain fundamental knowledge of something, you open new doors for yourself. You find new directions with which you can align your curiosity, and in case you develop an interest in what you are learning, things become much simpler. So it is very important to keep trying new things and clear your misconceptions about them. Most of the time, it is only your ignorance that separates you from your true purpose in life. However, if you continue learning new things every day, you stand a very high chance of discovering it.
True curiosity is like a black hole
Black holes are massive heavenly bodies that are so heavy that because of their immense gravitational field, they attract and ultimately eat up anything that they come across. Planets, stars, moons – nothing can escape them. The more the black holes eat, the bigger they become. The bigger they become, the more they eat.
Curiosity is also like a black hole. Once you start learning things, you learn about many other things that you didn’t know about. And once you start knowing those other things, you become aware of several others that you don’t know. This reaction – when triggered consciously – will carry you into a state of flow. You will discover the ability to look at one thing from multiple perspectives. Every moment of your life will become a revelation for you.
