Curiosity killed the cat. Or so the old adage tells us. But, does that mean that curiosity is bad? Rather than trying to convince my readers that curiosity is a good or bad thing, I’d like you all to just observe a child, let’s say a one or two year old. Okay, sure you have to have some curiosity to do this, but you have to start somewhere!
When I observe a small child the first thing I notice is that they look upon all things as new. They seem to live in a constant state of amazement. First they focus on the larger object, then move closer to see it in more detail (that’s the curiosity creeping in), and then put their face right up to it to zoom in on detail.
A child will not only observe something with their eyes, of course. A child will reach out with hand and fingers to touch the object, poking it, prodding it, rubbing it, and testing its shape. Some might even give the object a stomp with their foot or fist to see if it breaks.
A child will place his/her nose up to or even upon the object to see how it smells. They might even smell their fingers after touching it. They are creating memories associated with that smell and feel.
A child will listen to the object, perhaps shaking it or making it move in some way, all the time observing any sound that exudes from it. Or, the child may listen to the silence of the object.
A child quite often will give an object a lick to taste it. Yes, this might even include a worm they pulled out of the dirt.
A child will learn safety and danger by being curious. The child will fall down and learn to pick him/herself up, or even learn suffering. A child will also learn delight and joy by being curious.
Life is full of things to discover and to rediscover. Look at all things with new senses; with a renewed curiosity and wonderment. Life can be wonderful, that is, full of wonders. If you take the time to be curious about all things, life can be a source of constant amazement. Take time to be curious.
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