Socially, we really want to listen to other people because we want to know who they are. We open ourselves to the morsel of knowledge and experience they can share with us. We relish having discoveries of our own to share. There is an element behind this sensible search. Let us find it out, what is it?
It is inquisitiveness that makes us interested in a broad range of information about the world around us, not only that with direct utility. We learn for the joy of learning. Human beings have myriad range of characteristics and attributes. Some are innate, some are formed through experiences and some are developed through wisdom and insight. One of the most fundamental of these human features is that of curiosity. It is the curious nature of man that has led him to wonder, ponder and then learn. Curiosity is the organic building block of knowledge structure and is the key which has opened new vistas of thought and objective disciplines.
Curiosity is a hunger to explore and a delight in discovery. When we are curious, we approach the world with a child-like habit of poking and prodding and asking questions. We are attracted to new experiences. Rather than pursuing an agenda or a desired set of answers, we follow our questions where they lead.
It is inquisitiveness in man’s nature which drives him to understand different phenomena in life. The curiosity about one’s self and the environment leads a person to investigate and with the help of his findings draw adequate inferences. It guides him to attain his desires and goals in life, to create a vision and to dream. It is that quintessential quality in man that makes him superior to other creations in terms of sociability, morality and intellectuality. This is something which enables him to build communities and develop societies.
This curious nature of man has made him reflect upon higher purposes and discover deeper meanings in things, going beyond what they apparently seem to be. This higher search for purpose compels him to find meaning of his existence and the existence of things in the universe. While treading on the track on his instinctive curiosity, he leads his complete life shaped out of inquisitiveness in vastness of various questions about events taking place either in his life or in the universe around him. Since, he does not have any assurance of any conjectures he is making about the outcome of events in his life, he lives in the curiosity of knowing them. But, there is a certain amount of common sense which guides his cognitive abilities.
Nevertheless, the search and hunt of conquering his future and controlling his life never ends till the curiosity serves better of him. Hence, man seeks some ways and means for the outlet of this characteristic inside in varying degrees and to different extents. For this very element in him, he becomes passionate and enthusiastic. Sometimes, this material world, which is all that his sight can conceive, makes him think that having mundane comforts will give his soul the ever needed satisfaction. But such a false contentment comes at the expense of him losing sight of the divine ideals of governing life. He would be someone standing at a selfish point from where he cares about only his survival, well being and welfare in life.
On some other level of soul oddity, he would have sentiments and sensibility as the prime factors directing his heart at humanity. This level of his conscious being let him undertake his natural human curiosity as well as his humanism to use them in the benefit of the whole mankind. This very form of consciousness allows mankind to construct that human touch and that human connection so much necessary for the survival of the world and the growth we see through shared knowledge and wisdom.
The heart of community is found in the unfolding story of each member. And behind every story is someone who listens. Listening creates that cherished sense of belonging. Listening is the basis for true intimacy. Listening is at the core of healthy community life.
In its earliest development knowledge is self-sown. Impressions force themselves upon men’s senses whether they will or not, and often against their will. The amount of interest in which these impressions awaken is determined by the coarser pains and pleasures which they carry in their train or by mere curiosity; and reason deals with the materials supplied to it as far as that interest carries it, and no further.
Such common knowledge is rather brought than sought; and such ratiocination is little more than the working of a blind intellectual instinct. It is only when the mind passes beyond this condition that it begins to evolve science. When simple curiosity passes into the love of knowledge as such, and the gratification of the esthetic sense of the beauty of completeness and accuracy seems more desirable that the easy indolence of ignorance; when the finding out of the causes of things becomes a source of joy, and he is accounted happy who is successful in the search, common knowledge passes into what our forefathers called natural history, whence there is but a step to that which used to be termed natural philosophy, and now passes by the name of physical science.
In this final state of knowledge the phenomena of nature are regarded as one continuous series of causes and effects; and the ultimate object of science is to trace out that series, from the term which is nearest to us, to that which is at the farthest limit accessible to our means of investigation.
The course of nature as it is, as it has been, and as it will be, is the object of scientific inquiry; whatever lies beyond, above, or below this is outside science. But the philosopher need not despair at the limitation on his field of labor; in relation to the human mind Nature is boundless; and, though nowhere inaccessible, she is everywhere unfathomable.
Even as infants, we are voracious for knowledge and understanding. What could be more pure than that which does not know how to pretend or deceive? We are able to see, in them, an unobstructed image of human nature. This shows us that the questions we sometimes wrestle with at night are perfectly natural.
A pessimist might claim that all these stories go against my premise seeing as no progress was made by the oppressed. This is true but the argument is not regarding the actions. The thoughts are what matter.
There is no cure for this amazing disease; I long to be afflicted forever. It is greater than all of mankind and is far stronger than any gun, knife or law. It is the child who burns its finger on a candle because it longs to feel the flame. It is the man who doesn’t understand why he should struggle through the daily grind and still starve. It is the people who dug under, swam around and busted through concrete and barbed wire. It is the family who risked everything because no neighbor of theirs should have to wear a gold star. It is you. It is me. It is curiosity.