Much of our life is designed to be navigated by curiosity. We certainly were curious when we were younger. For many of us, our curiosity was pushed aside by practicality and busyness, making mystery an annoyance rather than an adventure.
Curiosity is such an important and informative thing. Perhaps a more compelling word would be fascination. We are to live fascinated by God, by his creation, by the way things work, by people.
Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”
Many of us have lost our curiosity. We may feel too tired to be curious or don’t believe it’s important at this stage of our life – that it’s a younger person’s game. But, curiosity (fascination) is vital to our growth and guidance.
We have “eyes and ears” for these things that others don’t seem to have. We may “find” ourselves pulled to a particular topic area in bookstores. It’s the subject of a news story where we turn the volume up and ask everyone to hush. It’s the article we read two, three, maybe four times. I have been studying the subject of calling, not because calling has been work-related or I can’t get any clarity on who I am, but rather out of deep desire and curiosity.
Albert Einstein also said, “Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” There is a reason you are interested in certain things and not others. Your curiosity is linked to your truest desires.
I have found curiosity a distant friend as of late. I realized that, like a cell-phone that has gone in “low-power” mode shutting down everything except the essentials, I was exhausted and in preservation mode – my curiosity had been turned off. But then, several friends told me about books they were reading and what they were learning, and my curiosity was stirred once again. Their curiosity engaged my curiosity.
There is very little curiosity in the margins of our life. Don’t live there.
We need the curiosity of others to stimulate our own curiosity. Ask others what they are reading, watching, researching – casually or formally.
Stay curious my friends.
Gary
We Are Strangers in a Strange Land
“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that is established in your mind as a dominant, wholly absorbing idea.”
This advice comes from Antonin-Dalmace Sertillanges, a Dominican friar and professor of moral philosophy, who wrote The Intellectual Life, in 1920.
I ran across this quote while reading Deep Work, by Cal Newport. It immediately reminded me of the many ways that your teaching points to our natural curiosities and desires as an invitation to deeper calling in those areas.
Curiosity is a big key to every day life. Curiosity is the reason we know whats wrong and whats right in life.
I agree with this so much! At 18 I’m still pretty curious and annoyed when I don’t know something. I’ve always thought it was a good trait, and this post makes me feel good about it!