Do you know a driver much stronger in life than being curious? Ever since we are born, the reason we move, the reason we taste everything in our hands, the reason we throw things away is to see what happens is because we are curious and this is how we learn. Getting back to Emotional Equations, Chip Conley's book with one of my favorites states: Curiosity.
source:pixabay
What about curiosity?
Walt Disney considered that the secret to create something amazing has 4 Cs: curiosity, confidence, courage and consistency. He is the one also saying: "I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious".
Being curious comes also with a large dose of vulnerability. When you are curious you have to admit that you don't know something. You have to let your ego aside. This is why the better people with curiosity are also children. They feel neither ashamed nor stupid to ask again and again "why?" and this is what makes them grow healthy.
Curiosity is the starting point of creativity. Being able to find different solutions needs first the ability to ask the right questions and be open to surprising answers.
Curiosity = Wonder + Awe
The author sees curiosity as the combination between the attitude of a child when each day comes with new and surprising facts (Wonder) and the attitude of a wise man, who knows so much but in the same time he is aware that there are so many other things to learn and he will never be able to understand everything (Awe).
1. Wonder
Wonder comes with joy. The joy to discover new things and the impatience to do so. It is a great challenge for us as adults to look at what surrounds us like is the first time we see it and to really enjoy it. All the filters we add to correspond and fit in the society "help" us lose the ability to really enjoy a new activity/ journey/ learning experience.
Awe
Awe comes with respect for the unknown, the feeling that there are grater things in the world you can connect to, the humility joining that impatience to get closer to this greater something and even a small amount of fear when we become aware that we are very small is such a big world.
How to use the equation to improve your life?
1. Forget about curiosity myths
We are raised with things like "curiosity kills the cat", "the paradise was lost because of Eva's curiosity". Maybe we are asked to shut up when we keep asking why as children and this inhibits our ingenue curiosity and we start to believe that it's not ok to be curios and that the "curious dies sooner".
if our curiosity respects the equation and is about being amazed by learning a new thing then it cannot be a bag thing.
If curiosity means I am curious about a private message my boyfriends receives or about the love life of my neighbors that in the first care is jealousy and in the second envy, none is curiosity.
2. Rebuilt your habit in being curious
If you've lost this through your adult life now is the time to start bringing curiosity back. Train this behavior daily and you will start to enjoy your life more as curiosity is considered one of the best antidotes for depression and anxiety.
3. Let the awe back in your life
I know we tend to live our lives trying to prove we are self sufficient and we need no other thing to report to than our own wishes. From time to time try to integrate moments to become aware of all the wonders around us, from a landscape, to animal or people behaviors, to seeing our loved one as a complete person we know so little about.
4. Choose one new learning subject every year
Keep your mind in focus with permanent learning and try to have each year the time to learn a new subject, completely different that what you have done until now. This is something I always did without thinking too much about the impact. For example I remember learning about How to raise horses, Neurology in everyday life, History of rock music, etc.
So, what are you waiting for to be more curious?
For sure curiosity will not kill the cat, but when I was kid curiosity makes me without toys. Because any toy that I receive i had to "open" it in order to see what's inside. :D
I'm sure you learned much more like this than if you kept the toys and just look at them or play "normally". Have you ever managed to put them back together from pieces? I remember I usually did.
Depends, in general, yes. Sometime together with my dad. :)
and probably after that you just "opened" that again:)
not really, because my curiosity was already satisfied. :)
Too easy:))
Even now I had an old laptop to "open" it also an aqua filter. :))
I'm glad you still have toys and so much curiosity! Congrats ;)
Great article @alinamarin!
I think that curiosity + comfort = evolution, because if you are starving you can't think too much.
Interesting perspective. I would rather say that evolution comes in absence of too much comfort or to increase your comfort. But it depends I think on the definition you give to comfort.
Curiosity is the biggest drive in human evolution. Without curiosity we would still have been eaten only berries and roots. Most successful persons are curios and feel the need to learn something new. Look at Bill Gates and Waren Buffett who read daily over 500 pages. They did that before beeing on top of the world wealth. Thanks for this motivating post. Stay curios
I read almost that much daily, too:)) I think I am on my path to become successful. Indeed, curiosity is a force and it's pity that so many wants to discourage us from using it.
I envy you! I need to cut some of the other activities to do so, but if there is a will, there is a way. I read about 2 hours online, the topics of interest and when I'm at home I grab a book for the real feel of reading
I use my commuting to read and all the "dead moments" during the day. But indeed, the feeling I have back home with a good book is much more than just plain reading.
Nice article @alinamarin, I can always count on you to learn something new!
Being a resource is part of my mission here:D And there are so many things to learn
Great post @alinamarin! Loving it all. Nice to have steemians like you on steemit. Just so know... deep down, I believe you will do great things. This is only the beginning, I believe in you!
We can be best buddies. Good news, I shared your post and followed you, follow me back to share the excitement!
Have fun!
thank you @jimscope. Fortunately, there is some good content on steemit if you look for it. Thank you for the vote, share and especially for your kind words.
Curiosity killed the cat, they say. Yet, the cat has 9 lives!