I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
~ Albert Einstein
The year has ended, and the New Year begins to unfurl. Many of us peer into the horizon, yearning to tackle what the future brings. Whatever lies ahead may ask us to adapt and to grow. These transitions may feel daunting; the unknown can create anxiety or hesitation. Yet if we shift our perspective, we find we need only one thing: the desire to learn. What is this desire – this inner pull toward expansion?
It is the cornerstone of intelligence, not the kind measured but the kind lived.
Curiosity is what keeps us awake to life. It sparks the motivation to explore the unknown, to pursue knowledge. Through inquisitiveness, curiosity expands, encouraging one to seek and understand more profound answers. The thrill of learning in itself becomes the stimulus; it is what brings us alive. Instead of moving forward with dread, imagining unknown things lurking around corners, we can open our minds to question what has presented itself for our growth. Everything that crosses one’s path is an invitation to notice, a habit or behavior to observe.
As we age, curiosity often quiets. It doesn’t disappear; it simply slips beneath routine and certainty. So keeping interested is critical, curiosity is the key.
But does it matter?
More than we realise.
Keeping a sense of wonder keeps us alive, awake, responsive, and open. Thereby, curiosity keeps us young—a pretty good payoff for something that can yield so much pleasure. Curiosity also aligns with passion. The more passionate we are about something, the more likely we are to remember it.
Desire fuels passion, and passion fuels assimilation
It also promotes more gratifying relationships. Being genuinely interested in who someone is builds a stronger foundation, leading to meaningful relationships with others and with ourselves.
Curiosity doesn’t disappear, though; it becomes suppressed behind what we think we’ve mastered. Our egos become the gatekeepers, convinced they already know.
To enhance your wonder, begin by asking yourself each of these questions:
What am I willing to see differently today?
When was I last inspired?
When did I last challenge myself?
What has surprised me?
When did something touch or move me?
Curiosity is the desire to learn for its own sake. When we kindle our curiosity through self-reflection, we reignite our desire to learn about what surrounds us. When we aren’t, we are simply functioning without fully living. The love of learning is having a passion for discovery. Become inquisitive about anything—follow a thread because it tugs at you. Have fun learning a random skill, or listen to opinions that differ from ours. These are elemental abilities we have forgotten. Read, read, and read. Speak less and listen more.
But, most importantly, view the world through the eyes of a child, and ask Why? Not to find an answer, but to stay open to the wondrous possibilities of life.
Wonder implies the desire to learn
~ Aristotle
