I have found that curiosity is a huge driver and motivator.  It pushes people to want to know more, which in turn translates to doing something to gain that knowledge.  It is also what allows us to continually improve, because we’ll always wonder “what if?” when we tap into our curious mind.  Really what it comes down to is asking questions.  In the quest to find the answers, we come across so many innovative ideas that can change the world.  But first, we must be curious and want to understand things more deeply.

photo credit: thesun.co.uk

This could be something as simple as unsolved deaths, as hit shows like CSI and the most recent tragic airplane crash of Air France flight 447, exemplify.  There’s this deep desire to find out why and how certain events happen.  In the event of mystery, there are plenty of people who are ready to devote a lot of resources to investigating the reasons.  I guess it’s because we like to see ourselves as logical creatures and as such, expect our world to behave in a logical way.  When something comes along that cannot be explained, it’s simply not enough to let it be, but there’s almost a need to find out why.  That’s why cases like Amelia Earhart disappearing or “eerie” coincidences are classic stories and people try to attribute it to a greater power that undetectable.

Of course, curiosity can also work in great ways, inspiring people to come up with great inventions and discoveries have changed the course of history.  What if Galileo had not wondered about how fast things fall to the ground?  What if Edison had never tried so hard to find a way to light up our nights?  Imagine how the world would be if neither of those events had happened.  I can’t even begin to – our understanding of basic physics and our nightly habits would be so different.  So I’m glad that people wonder about the world and are motivated to continue to change.  After all, a static world would be boring and unbearably predictable.

photo credit: cryptomundo.com

Even in my own life, much of the articles I find myself reading are because of my personal interests and curiosities.  I educate myself because I wonder what ways I can reduce my carbon footprint, better use my mind, or improve my relational abilities.  I take those questions and go about finding answers in whatever way I can.  Sometimes, that’s what inspires me to post too!  Perhaps in sharing my thoughts I can also find answers in the wisdom of my acquaintances.  I think it’s critical that people never lose sight of their curious nature.  For some, it’s testing the limits of humanity (how else did the 4-minute mile get broken?) and for others, it’s reasoning through things.  Whatever the purpose, it always makes us work harder, try more, and (usually) be better.  So let’s keep on demanding those answers!