Remember To Dream, Vol. 10
"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision." - Stevie Wonder
The Importance Of Being Curious
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The toddler squeals in delight. He bangs the wooden spoon against the plastic salad bowl one more time and giggles when he hears the sound. He does it again and again, laughing louder each time. He jumps up and runs in a circle around the room, arms raised, giggling to himself. He squats back down and bangs the spoon against the bowl again. It's a light tap this time.
He grins and leans closer. He inspects the bowl while he slowly taps the spoon against it. His eyes flash open and he raises his head. He chuckles and repeatedly bangs the spoon against the bowl as hard as he can. He looks up at his father and smiles proudly.
To this young boy, a simple wooden spoon and a plastic salad bowl are astounding things. They offer him endless entertainment, as a makeshift drum kit, a helmet and saber, or cookware for a make-believe stew, to name just a few of the possibilities.
To adults, on the other hand, these items have one function. There is no fun in them. Nothing to dance about or giggle over.
Toddlers have infinite curiosity. Every object is a source of wonder, a new adventure in waiting. Our curiosity peaks at this age, diminishing as we grow older and are force-fed social norms, accepted “truths,” and other limiting beliefs.
But, curiosity is key to creativity. Curiosity also keeps our brains active and our hearts enthusiastic.
Creativity Declines With Age
In 1992, NASA was looking for a way to “effectively measure the creative potential of their rocket scientists and engineers.” They hired Dr. George Land and Dr. Beth Jarman to develop a test designed to establish an individual’s capacity for divergent thinking and creativity.
The researchers led a longitudinal study of 1,600 children to measure how their creativity varied over time. At the age of 5, 98 percent of the children scored at genius level, the highest possible creativity rating. At the age of 10, only 30 percent of the children scored at this level. Then, at the age of 15, only 12 percent of the children in the study scored at genius level.
Applying the same test to adults yielded an even more concerning result. Less than 2 percent of 280,000 adults surveyed scored at genius level.
In other words, almost all of us start out as creative geniuses, only to have society, schools, and our environment squeeze it out of us. In a world that prizes order and adherence to rules, we are taught to be less creative.
Curiosity and creativity go hand in hand. A curious mind asks questions that lead to unexpected outcomes. The right questions can lead to new discoveries and connect dots between seemingly unrelated fields. Without curiosity, we would not have any of the major scientific breakthroughs or technological innovations we take for granted today.
As Albert Einstein admits, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” He also observed that “it is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.” This was in 1949. Things are much worse now.
Schools Discourage Curiosity
As teachers have fewer resources, more students, and less time at their disposal, they simply cannot afford to indulge every question. They discourage questions out of necessity.
Institutions of higher education profit from standardizing curricula and reaching more students with fewer resources. And profit has taken on more importance to these institutions than providing their students with a meaningful and practical education.
The end result is that children focus on asking questions that help them get good grades rather than develop a deep understanding of a subject. No more learning for learning’s sake.
One way to measure curiosity is by examining our propensity to ask questions. A study conducted by Professor Susan Engel, an international expert on curiosity in children, uncovered an alarming drop off in the number of questions asked by school-aged children.
Children start off by asking an average of over 100 questions an hour, but by the time they begin secondary school, at the age of eleven, most would not ask a single question in class during a two-hour period.
From 107 questions an hour to zero. From creative geniuses to mediocre conformists.
Matt Caldwell, the head of a nursery school in the U.K., describes it well:
“School kills curiosity. When do children get to ask questions about things that interest them? As soon as they are at primary school they have to shut up and learn…
It's disempowering for children and that isn't good for their mental health. The way schools are set up are outdated, a relic of Victorian times….
Children's curiosity is being squeezed out of the very place it should be nurtured, often by a culture of testing, learning objectives and exam results which have no room for curiosity if the source of that curiosity is not in the lesson plan.”
The Many Benefits Of Curiosity
We often underestimate the positive impact curiosity can have on our lives:
Research indicates that when your curiosity is ignited, your ability to learn and retain information increases. When you are curious, the limbic reward system of the brain actually illuminates. This is why it is important that teachers spark curiosity in the classroom.
The degree to which you are curious is correlated with your level of openness to personal growth opportunities and your capacity to connect with others.
Research has shown curiosity to be associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being.
Studies reveal that curiosity leads to more enjoyment and participation in school and higher academic achievement, as well as greater learning, engagement, and performance at work.
When we are curious about others and talk to people outside our usual social circle, we become better able to understand those with lives, experiences, and world views different than our own.
Studies have shown that being open to new experiences keeps your brain active and alert, which can be immensely helpful in old age. The mind is like a muscle: it becomes stronger with exercise, and there is no better mental exercise than curiosity.
As renowned astrophysicist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, explains: “the people who don’t ask questions remain clueless throughout their lives.”
We Can Learn From Our Children
As the father of a toddler, I have observed firsthand how unbridled curiosity drives my son’s behavior. I promised myself that I would encourage him to follow his curiosity wherever it may take him and I have tried to learn from him.
Watching him turn kitchen utensils into magical toys and everyday objects into sources of wonder has taught me to approach life in a different way.
The world is filled with wondrous things. They are everywhere around us. It is up to us whether we choose to acknowledge their existence. It is up to us whether we choose to follow our curiosity wherever it may lead us.
The world is a better place thanks to the adults that have retained their curiosity. The Albert Einsteins and Elon Musks. The pioneers who refused to bow down to conformity, rules, and society’s arbitrary grading systems.
The world is also more fun for those that remain curious.
Let us follow our children’s lead and embrace every rabbit hole life throws our way. Rather than stifle our children’s curiosity, we can encourage it and learn from it to improve our lives and the world at large.
Curiosity is the language of our hearts and the music of our minds. Without it, we might as well become robots. And nobody wants that.
Here are some tips for cultivating curiosity, from Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neuroscience expert and the founder of Ness Labs:
Ask questions: randomly ask yourself why? and how? when reading something or chatting with friends. You can even write down some of these questions to take the time to find the answers later.
Read outside of your field: pick a type of book you would never naturally buy in a bookstore. Is it classic poetry? Non-fiction? A cookbook? Something about geology? Read it just for the sake of reading it.
Be inquisitive with people: choose someone in your entourage that you haven’t seen in a while, and invite them for coffee. Make it your goal to learn as much as possible about their interests. Take that approach any time you meet a new person.
Practice saying less: this is linked to the previous one. Try to talk less and to listen more.
Immerse yourself in a topic: select a topic that you find interesting, and push the limits of your curiosity by going deep. This means reading lots of articles, books, and research papers, watching TED talks, listening to podcasts.
Write: take it to the next level by writing about this topic. This is exactly what I’m doing here. By committing to write on this blog, I get to explore new topics and cultivate my curiosity.
Carry a notebook: it will make it easier to remember topics you’re curious about and want to either research or write about later.
Learn about yourself: curiosity doesn’t need to only be outward. Explore your feelings, ask yourself about your goals and behaviors, or even research your past and family history.
Slow down: productivity can be the enemy of creativity. Take the time to let your mind wander and let questions pop into your head.
Hang out with a child: playing and talking with a child is probably one of the best reminders of our potential for curiosity.
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Profiles In Dreaming
Every week, I profile someone that has fulfilled their dream against the odds and highlight three lessons from their journey.
The One-Man Band
Stevie Wonder was born with almost every disadvantage you can imagine. Blind, poor, brought up by a single mother, and Black in America, but he never viewed them that way. He used a love for life and incredible talent to build a legendary musical career. He also used his success to do good, leaving a legacy that goes beyond his hits.
Ponder This
“I have four degrees. My brother is a judge. We’re not the smartest ones in our family. It’s a third-grade dropout daddy, a third grade dropout daddy who was quoting Michelangelo, saying to us boys, ‘I won’t have a problem if you aim high and miss, but I’m going to have a real issue if you aim low and hit.’” - Dr. Rick Rigsby
Taken from his commencement speech titled “The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout Will Change Your Life” at California State University Maritime Academy.
Practice This
We all think of fear as a negative force in our lives, but sometimes fear can be harnessed to drive positive action. Our fears can light up a path for growth, providing us with a sign that we’re about to leave our comfort zones. The sooner we embrace and confront our fears, the sooner we overcome them, opening up a new world of possibilities in the process. Here is an exercise designed to help you tackle your fears.
Write down your biggest fears and answer the following questions for each one:
How likely is this fear to come true?
What would happen to you if it came true?
What would happen if you overcame this fear?
What would you do if you knew your fear would never come true?
Imagine yourself in a situation that forces you to face this fear. Visualize yourself overcoming it. Describe how you behave and what you do. How do you feel? What strengths do you possess that enabled you to overcome this fear?
Play This
Every week, I share some of the music I listen to when I write. Studies have shown that playing a song or short playlist on repeat helps put you into a state of flow, which is optimal for creativity. The choice of music is up to you. I choose music that reflects the energy I want to infuse in my work. Most of the time, this means dreamy, melodic deep house. But sometimes, when I’m writing about something raw, I go with old school hip hop.
Here’s a link to a master playlist of all the songs I’ve shared so far.
I’d love to hear your feedback or connect with you. Email me at omar@omarfarha.com.