I think it is good to be curious.
Within reason. I think there is a fine line between being curious, and being nosey. I have met my fair share of nosy people. The Nosey Poseys. And… I have also had encounters with the curious. And while there truly is a fine line between the two, you can easily tell the difference when you interact.
But back to the main point. Curiosity.
By definition, it could mean one of two things. That we are eager to learn something new OR… that something has a strange or unusual characteristic.
I’m focused on the first. Stephen Hawking is a a smart guy. His IQ is around 160 or so. I am pretty sure that when our knowledge increases, so does our curiosity. The more we start learning, the more questions we ask. The more answers we seek. So not only is he smart, he is probably filled with curiosity.
At any rate, one of my favorite quotes comes from Hawking. He said: “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
Try to make sense of what you see. And wonder.
Be Curious.
It has many benefits after all.
Curiosity helps us survive. When we are sparked to explore and to seek…. that which is new…. it helps us remain vigilant. It is a big world out there. Trust me, a little vigilance is good. Curiosity helps us to gain knowledge about our constantly changing environment. This big blue ball and beyond. And of course, that is probably why our brains have evolved to release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals when we encounter new things.
Psychology Today reports that curious people are happier. Being of the curious variety… leaves you with higher levels of positive emotions, and supposedly, lower levels of anxiety. They go on to say that curious cats have more satisfaction with life, and overall.. . have a greater well-being.
And if you are not sold about being curious, here is one more dang good reason. The curious have their own patron-saint-monkey. Sort of.
Yes, who doesn’t love Curious George? A little monkey from Africa, captured and brought to the U.S. by the man in the yellow hat. I think the little monkey got caught by the yellow dude, not because of his curiosity…. but because he was being nosey. It turned out okay though. The man in the yellow hat takes George into his own home, and cares for him. They get a book deal, and then a movie gig… and now… they’re living phat.
But. You have to love a curious monkey who can sail a bunch of balloons all over town. And. I’m pretty sure Pixar stole that story line for their movie “UP”
At any rate, what I really want to say is this.
We live in this world, day in, and day out. Sometimes it seems like the same routine, over and over again. Time to make the donuts, right?
But in fact, this world is limitless. Our Universe is infinite. That’s big. Really, really big.
When we wake each day, we should rise, and see this place with new eyes. We might be able to wonder what it is today. We should ask what great surprise is in this day.
We have a tremendous human spirit. Each one of us has the ability to face the unknown… the future…. with curiosity. Some of us can even do it with optimism.
We are a good bunch we are. In most cases… we hold the the belief that problems can be solved. Some of us hope that our differences can be resolved.
It is quite a quality to be able to do this. There is a bit of confidence in being curious. But it too, rides a very fine line. It can be disrupted, at any moment. By fear. By superstition. By ignorance.
Today, we should live like the with this great human spirit that is deep inside us. Be curious. Be brave. Find an answer. Be the answer.