CURIOSITY – CATALYST TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Curiosity they say kills the cat. Hmmm! This is quite true if by curiosity we mean being inquisitive about other people’s affairs. In Nigeria, words like ‘amebo’ and ‘aproko’ aptly describes this kind of curiosity. 

But I want to talk to you about another kind of curiosity - the desire to know why, how, what, when etc. This kind of curiosity seeks to have an explanation or understanding for processes, events, methods and/or techniques.

It seeks out knowledge that will help you. It drives you! It compels you! It creates a thirst and hunger for knowledge that makes you uneasy till you satisfy it. It’s a craving!

Imagine being starved for a couple of days, not because of a spiritual exercise or something of that sort, but because of famine. How do you feel when you smell or see food?

You lose control of your ‘sanity’ temporarily, all you can think of is how fast you can eat the food. You feel like eating the whole food in one bite.

I’m sure that if you could pass the food through your nose, eyes and ears as well as your mouth, you’d do it. This is a picture of what hunger and thirst can do. Until your cravings are satisfied, you don’t stop eating!

Isn’t this interesting! A curious person has cravings for knowledge which keeps him learning. The day he feels satisfied and stops feeding is the day he will stop learning and start dying.

Attending classes, listening to people, reading and doing research with a desire to get answers makes me learn effectively. Even if it’s just out of curiosity, if you say you have another approach, be my guest! I’ll hear you out.

This is the idea, never be satisfied with what you think you know, crave for more, be open to new possibilities. You never know where your curiosity will lead you.

Excerpt From: The Learning BOOST, 2013

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