My mom once told me about an incident that happened when I was like just over 1(according to her). In this incident, I apparently observed a dung beetle roll its "score" for the day all the way across my grandma's backyard. I neither lost interest nor disturb its path for the entire trip. Noticing this her uncle(A Professor at a University) told her that one day I would be a scientist because of my patience and curiosity. My mom told me about this when I was about to go to College and I felt really happy to hear that, to get such a compliment from him at that young an age. Now after all these years, I dont know why, I remembered what she said and then thought, I was no special. Every kid is born curious. As kids, we want to explore stuff, like to know why something is happening the way it is happening, ask a lot of questions, etc. But as we grow up, why does that change? What is it that decreases this curious nature within us? Why do we take things for granted? I mean come on, how many of us really know how a touch screen works( I bet like 90% of us have used them) or even simple stuff like what exactly is dry cleaning. Are we so "busy" with our lives that we forgot how to question? Of course we will come with all guns blazing when the cell phone/ipad isn't working or the strain on your shirt/dress dint come off.
At what point in our life do we stop wondering about the how and the why? Does it stop instantaneously or over time and What is the reason behind it? Thoughts???
Interesting thought. I think its a lack of time, and probably the (incorrect) thought that knowledge that our brain can only process a certain amount of information. So, as much as with most of our lives, we try to make our thoughts as practical, and try to limit our curiosity.
ReplyDeleteOver time, moreover, we lose our imagination and I think its that its the imagination that fuels that curiosity. One of the many losses of being "adult" and "mature".
I think also because for the regular society to work as we know it, thinkers are not really needed - much less abstract thinkers- and hence curiosity is looked down upon. We ingrain that over time. Hence, in all cases, I think its a gradual case.
Astonishment is the natural state of our mind. With age we stop astonishing, may be because of learning. By the way I know how a touch screen works and all the other questions mentioned in your post.
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