Curiousity and a curious attitude is not motivated by the need to be right but by the need to understand. This may sound like a repetition on a theme (see My Raging Confirmation Bias) but if it is, it bears repeating.
When you wonder about something; a question, a problem, an unknown story… is your interest out of a pure quest for knowledge or to acquire a sharp sword to slice someone else’s position to pieces?
The areas of my life that receive the most attention and time; politics, social issues, religion and social change have strong advocates for strongly held ideological positions. I am considered one who has strong opinions, ideas, tendencies. On the days I am researching, writing or presenting with a quest to learn and understand I receive gifts, gems of wisdom, that I might instinctively ignore. When I am head down, blinkers on searching for the evidence to confirm my thesis, I don’t learn much (even if I am in the same text, room, or conversation).
I suspect curiousity is a muscle that needs to be exercised and a practice that needs rehearsal. When I have spent some time reading for pleasure, with an open heart, from a source that I wouldn’t normally choose I acquire interesting and useful nuggets. I know when this happens because I smile or knit my brow as a reflect to my curiousity being whetted. It seems that an hour of rehearsal strengthens the muscle and when I delve back into subject or interest area work, I am questioning.
Make Today Remarkable, by being curious,
B
Make It Your Problem 
Thanks, for just a little bit of insight as to why we are curious. My maternal grandfather, the only grand parent I ever knew, helped my father instil in me a desire to question practically everything with the standard Who, What, Why, When and Where! He was a master of the draughts or checkers and in fact as Canadian Checker Champion for a number of years, he would sit with me in front of that board and teach me a thing or two and even sometimes by feigning to be a weaker player. I guess that is why I ended up being a librarian and information professional, always questioning. While curiosity may have killed the cat, in some cases, it is through this curious aspect that not only humans but other animals learn. Keep on learning!
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