Curiosity- Day 7

 

“When curiosity is alive, we are attracted to many things; we discover many worlds.”

Eric Booth

Christy Geiger writes about curiosity in her post for Forbes, Curiosity: Why it Matters, Why We Lose It and How to Get it Back.

She states that we are “all born with curiosity.”

As we move toward adulthood  we begin to feel more comfortable with the knowledge we have acquired, and almost reach a “ learning plateau.”  When we arrive at this point we begin to lose that natural curiosity that we had at birth. 

However, it is curiosity that allows the brain to make new connections, which may be beneficial to our aging brain. 

Geiger lists ways to create curiosity in our day to day lives:

Observe: Slow down, and engage your five senses. Observe the world from different perspectives. “Curiosity requires study and wonder.”

Ask Questions: Ask questions before you offer your opinion. 

Expand Your Sources: Recognize that you have biases. Reach out to others for different perspectives.  This does not mean that you have to change your point of view, but to quote St. Francis of Assisi, “Seek first to understand.”

Try Something New:  Geiger believes “Change allows for the discovery of things you may have missed.”

Most of all she encourages us to have some fun returning to that curiosity of our childhood. For me curiosity makes life more interesting, and an interesting life to me is a richer life. 

“Have fun taking up childhood curiosity once again; relearn and rediscover the amazing world all around you.”

Christy Geiger

Curiosity-Day 6

 

The Curiosity Approach is an early childhood program created by Lyndsey Hellen and Stephanie Bennett of Great Britain. 

Their program sets up an environment that encourages children to use their natural inborn curiosity. They believe that with so many competing technological resources giving children simple, natural objects to play with allows them to think more critically. 

“The more a toy does the less opportunity a child has to think.”

They encourage children to “play, investigate, and find out things” on their own initiative. Their classrooms look nothing like the traditional, typical classroom most of us are familiar with. 

Gone are bright colors, and plastic. Rather neutral more natural colors are seen in a room that looks more like home than a classroom. A variety of random objects encourage children to take risks, and discover independently from adult guidance. 

This approach allows children to be self- directed. My middle grandson loves all things science along with a big dose of superhero. The other day he was doing one of his favorite experiments where he projects onto the ceiling colored water through a flashlight. 

He called me over a little later to show me the “radioactive spider” he had added to the mix. As the light shone through the spider did seem to glow in the amber liquid. What I loved most about this is he had the freedom to problem solve, and came up with the idea to add the spider on his own. 

Luckily, there was no adverse reaction, and he doesn’t appear to have the ability to climb walls like his hero Spider-Man. 

By “utilizing authentic resources, natural environments, outdoor opportunities, fostering questions, and exploring using the five senses,” inquisitive minds are developed.

If you want more information you can go to their website:

                                                                                             https://www.thecuriosityapproach.com.  

Curiosity-Day 5

 

“If I know what I shall find, I do not want to find it. Uncertainty is the salt of life.”

Erwin Chargaff

Sky Ariella writes in the article The Most Important Curiosity Skills, that “Curiosity inspires innovative ideas…”

She lists three things that can enhance curiosity:

First read more books. “Within the pages of a book, there’s a whole world of information and knowledge.” This is always a goal of mine, but as I age I find this goal more challenging. My attention span has shortened (thank you i pad) and I’m lucky to finish one book a month.

Recently I heard about a strategy that allowed for better comprehension. The podcast host said he would order both the Kindle version and the audio version on Amazon. He said together it came to approximately the cost of the physical book alone. This way he read and listened at the same time. Using two modalities kept his attention AND improved his retention of what he read.

Secondly, Ariella recommends analyzing the world around you. She also states not to take what you see and hear at face value. “…don’t just accept things the way they are, you analyze the situation.”

Finally Ariella encourages us to follow our interests. “When something interests you, try to explore it more and see where it takes you.” This is exactly what I’ve done with the topic of curiosity.  Over the years I’ve focused on creativity, but after reflecting more on my own life I realized that I led more with curiosity. This sometimes resulted in creativity, but more times than not it scratched the itch of something that had been on my mind. 

Ariella continues with the following questions to kick start our curiosity:

What do you like to do for fun?

When was the last time you learned something new? 

Have you taught yourself any skills?

These three questions alone should get the curiosity juices flowing. It certainly has got me thinking. 

Curiosity-Day 4

 

“Intellectual curiosity is a superpower.”

Anthony Pomliano

Is there such a thing as a “curiosity gene?”

Grant Currin in his article Why are Humans So Curious?  states that, although there may not be a “single curiosity gene” there is a genetic component to curiosity. 

Vanessa Van Edwards asks in the Science of People , “Why are some people more naturally curious than others?” In studies published by Neuron magazine it appears that our brain chemistry changes when we exhibit curiosity. In fact, we seem to retain information better that we are curious about. 

As our curiosity is satisfied there is a release of dopamine which gives us a naturally good feeling. As this pertains to aging I wonder  whether living a more curious life might guard against depression, which sadly effects many elderly people. 

According to Van Edwards, “The dopamine appears to play a role in enhancing the connections between cells that are involved in learning.”

Is it possible to teach an old dog new tricks  just by remaining curious?

In The Science of Curiosity Judson Brewer identifies two different aspects of curiosity to consider:

The first being “Interest” where the hunger for knowledge results in a sense of satisfaction as new information is learned. The second, has more to do with  “Deprivation” where there appears to be a missing piece of information that can cause a restlessness until it is located. 

I have found myself wearing both of these shoes since I have an intense need-to-know. Do either of these resonate with you?

Curiosity-Day 3

 

“If knowledge is power, then curiosity is the muscle.”

Danielle LaPorte

Several years ago I read a book by choreographer Twyla Tharp entitled, Keep It Moving, Lessons for the Rest of Your Life.

What I remember most about the book was that Tharp pointed out that if we aren’t careful as we age our world can become smaller. Even our physical body shrinks in height and turns inward. 

Her message was NOT to allow this to happen. 

“As we get older and our bodies enjoy less natural freedom of movement, we tend to take up less

, both physically and metaphorically…our backs arch no longer straight and long. Our steps shorten from stride to shuffle. Our vision narrows, slowly erasing the periphery, leaving only what’s in front of our nose.”

As a result we tend to want to stay home where we may have whittled our living space down to only a few rooms. 

As Tharpe continues, “We let our bodies constrict inviting the world around us to close in.”

Sadly, the mind follows suit, and we begin to be concerned only with our daily functions. Our dreams, schemes and goals become something from our distant past. 

Why Tharpe’s observations caught my attention, though, was that I did not want to fall victim to this “constriction.”

Tharpe states that those who thrive in their latter years seem to have one thing in common. “Instead of stubbornly staying on known paths, afraid to stray, they look at what comes next with CURIOSITY, expanding into whatever it may be.”

She points out that our age is not the enemy, but rather “stagnation, complacency, stasis, and the status quo is what is holding us back. 

Tharpe continues inspiring with the following sentiment:

“What I believe in is change and the vitality it brings. Vitality means moving through life with energy and vigor making deliberate choices and putting to good use the time and energy that we have been granted.”

Stay curious my friends!

Curiosity- Day 2

 

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein

Early in our marriage my husband and I traveled to the home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello. I remember a young boy asking question after question to our docent. It didn’t take long to notice that most people were beginning to get annoyed, although his parents beamed with pride. 

What actually is curiosity? According to Common Sense Media, “Curiosity is having a strong desire to learn or know something.”

Curious people “seek answers to their questions for the sake of gaining knowledge.”

In other words, “Curiosity is a key ingredient of learning.”

The Importance of Being Curious by Dalia Molokhia states that having “…a beginner’s mind,” results in being “…curious, open to new ideas, eager to learn, and not based on preconceived notions or prior knowledge.”

This ability does not have to belong exclusively to children. As adults we can face life with a “beginner’s mind.”

Alan D. Wilson the CEO of McCormick & Co. believes those who “are always expanding their perspective and what they know are people that are going to be successful.”

Of course, success may have a different definition for each person, and even in our later years we can use curiosity to enrich the “success” of our lives. I’m hoping by the end of this series I’ve inspired  you to consider becoming more curious in your day to day life no matter your age. 

So how can we develop this curiosity if it no longer comes naturally? As children if we were encouraged to ask questions, and were exposed to a variety of sources and experiences our curiosity probably grew, and became a part of who we were. 

Dalia  Molokhia lists several ways to develop that curiosity. She encourages us to “apply a beginner’s mindset” by being open to the new and different. In addition she writes, “Ask questions, listen and observe.  Try something new. Each of these activities opens your mind to a new point of view.” And lastly, “Be inquisitive.”

How do you stay curious in your life?

Curiosity-Day 1

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

Walt Disney

When I think about curiosity I can’t help but think about Curious George, that childhood favorite character whose curiosity was always getting him in trouble. The picture of him floating away into the sky with a handful of balloons always comes to mind. 

Although, I loved the Curious George  series as a child I have to wonder what kind of message did it send about curiosity? Was it a good thing since it always seemed to get George in trouble? Pair that with the infamous saying, “ Curiosity killed the cat,” and it’s no wonder for many curiosity was placed on the shelf along with those other long forgotten childhood toys. 

As I contemplated my own curiosity, and as I observed it in my three young grandsons I couldn’t help but wonder how curiosity could contribute to the aging mind? This was reinforced by a story I had heard about a woman who was just turning one hundred. They attributed her longevity to her visiting the gym weekly, but I heard something different.

Her daughter shared that her mother had always been a curious person.  In fact, she had traveled from Italy as a war bride after World War II. Her adventurous spirit, courage and curiosity had allowed her to travel far from her home to start a new life. 

Could this curiosity have kept her actively engaged in life as she aged? Could it be responsible for her becoming a centenarian?

My own curiosity prompted me to learn more about this trait that carried George away high into the sky, and I must say what I learned was very intriguing. I thought I might take you along on my journey for the next thirty-one days.