“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
– Albert Einstein
I was that child who was constantly asking questions. I relentlessly annoyed adults with my curiosity. I am that person that if you ask me to do something, I will want to know why. I’ll want to know how something works. I’ll want to know the history behind something. I find it incredibly sad that many adults squash and silence the curiosity in children to the point that kids stop finding learning to be exciting. Thankfully I kept my curiosity.
The definition of curiosity is: the desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness.
That doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me.
Walter Isaacson said, “Throughout his life, Albert Einstein would retain the intuition and the awe of a child. He never lost his sense of wonder at the magic of nature’s phenomena-magnetic fields, gravity, inertia, acceleration, light beams-which grown-ups find so commonplace. He retained the ability to hold two thoughts in his mind simultaneously, to be puzzled when they conflicted, and to marvel when he could smell an underlying unity. “People like you and me never grow old,” he wrote a friend later in life. “We never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”
Everybody knows the saying “curiosity killed the cat”, but it’s very misleading and doesn’t mean what you think it does. The original proverb (attributed to Ben Jonson) said “Care killed the cat”. In 1598 “care” actually meant “worry” or “sorrow”. (source) “Worry killed the cat” is radically different than “curiosity killed the cat”.
Now, another thing that is rarely mentioned is that there is a second part to the curiosity phrase:
“Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.“
Curiosity has resulted in technological advancements, important discoveries, great works of art, music, and literature. Without curiosity man would have never walked on the moon. Without curiosity we wouldn’t have modern technology.
“Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”
– Samuel Johnson, The Rambler
Be curious. Ask questions. Live in wonder.
Curiosity is essential for growth.
Why you may or may not want to watch baseball with me:
I will wonder what year each team was established. I will wonder why and how the team got its name.
I will wonder what’s the slowest you could possibly pitch the ball and still have it reach the catcher. (The answer is, it depends. Due to many variables like, the height of the pitcher, the altitude, the humidity percentage etc. A pretty accurate estimate though is around 27 mph.)
Now, I am a girl and will also also comment during the game things like, “Oh he’s cute!” or “Ewww, I’d hate to be that guy’s girlfriend. He chonks his gum disgustingly. He would be horrendous to eat at a restaurant with!”
Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive. Remember that there are no stupid questions.
Here’s some basic questions you could ask:
Who? Says who?
What? What for?
What more can I do?
What will happen?
When? Where?
Why? Why not?
Why should I care? Why does it matter?
How? How does it work?
(you get the idea)
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein
Stay curious my friends.
– Kayla Oliver
