Curiosity
As a child, I do believe that the characters I watch on TV are somehow preprogrammed. When I tried to reason it out, I came to the same conclusion—that they must be inside—and expected to be able to access it. I had to hope the day came, but when it did, I was shocked to find that not a single picture was in the compartment. How does this function is still a question that nags at me. I just wanted to know, so I had to ask someone older. I learned that the people are transmitting from somewhere else, which actually involves different procedures. Even though I didn't have a clear picture that day, I did have a thought that contradicted what I had first believed. I've always been an inquisitive individual. I have a constant desire to learn new things. A creative person must have a certain amount of curiosity. I've learned that this ability is also innate, which explains why most kids ask lots of questions since they're curious and want to learn. Sadly, not all kids have access to the relevant knowledge and can get their questions answered properly.
Do you desire to accomplish any goals? Do you have a project you want to begin? or you may have additional inquiries. Our mistake sometimes is thinking we can figure everything out on our own and find the answers to our questions on our own, but we don't realize that time passes us by while we are doing that. Some of us try to figure out the answer at two to three trials if we don't get it we get frustrated, discard the whole idea, and move on to something else. In the long run we might have discarded a very brilliant idea which could have greatly contributed to our life. Even worse, you can discover that someone else is pursuing a similar idea you previously discarded and start to feel bad about it.
Albert Einstein said "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
Here are some tips to keep you curious:
1. Keep an open mind
This is essential if you are to have a curious mind. Be open to learn, unlearn, and relearn. Some things you know and believe might be wrong, and you should be prepared to accept this possibility and change your mind.
2. Don’t take things at face value.
If you just accept the world as it is without trying to dig deeper, you will certainly lose the ‘holy curiosity’. Never take things at face value. Try to dig deeper beneath the surface of what is around you.
3. Ask questions relentlessly
A sure way to dig deeper beneath the surface is asking questions: What is that? Why is it made that way? When was it made? Who invented it? Where does it come from? How does it work? What, why, when, who, where, and how are the best friends of curious people.
4. Don’t label something as boring
Whenever you label something as boring, you close one more door of possibilities. Curious people are unlikely to call something boring. Instead, they always see it as a door to an exciting new world. Even if they don’t yet have time to explore it, they will leave the door open to be visited another time.
5. See learning as something fun
If you see learning as a burden, there’s no way you will want to dig deeper into anything. That will just make the burden heavier. But if you think of learning as something fun, you will naturally want to dig deeper. So look at life through the glasses of fun and excitement and enjoy the learning process.
6. Have diversity in your reading
Don’t spend too much time in just one world; take a look at other worlds. It will introduce you to the possibilities and excitement of the other worlds which may spark your interest to explore them further. One easy way to do this is through reading diverse genres and topics. Try to pick a book or magazine on a new subject and let it feed your mind with the excitement of a new world.
(Adapted from Four Reasons Why Curiosity Is Important and How to Develop It, by Donald Latumahina)
In conclusion, curiosity is active. To get the desired answer, you must ask the appropriate persons. You get one step closer to the outcome for every level of curiosity you have.
I will next share how to go from being curious to being daring.