I’m Curious, Therefore I Am.
I observed something the other day that made me smile. Toddlers are perpetually on acid.
If you’ve ever interacted with a one or two-year old before, you can’t help but to be intrigued at their level of bewilderment towards any given situation.
Combine two different colored Lego blocks into one and make a magical “whooooosh” noise for added effect. Proceed to watch their eyes widen as their tiny hands clamor for the newly constructed Lego yin-yang.
Hang out with them near a piano and push one of the keys. A moment of brief silence follows as the toddler processes the awesomeness of what he/she just witnessed. Proceed to watch them uncontrollably wail on each key as they adorably mistake the piano for a set of black-and-white drums.
And as adults, what is our general reaction to these happenings? We love it! It makes us smile and laugh to see such a high level of intrigue at what we would otherwise view as mundane. We are smiling with the child and supporting his/her endless string of curiosity that results from navigating the world (or in this case, the living room). Exploration is encouraged and experimentation is lovingly welcomed. Curiosity is the cornerstone of every child’s development, and it is absolutely essential for it to be supported and grown.
… But can we say the same for adults?
“Can you believe that it’s already November?!”
As the year comes to an end, you’re going to hear that question a lot. And chances are, it will come from an adult, not a child. Have you ever wondered why adults specifically ask that in a sense of bewilderment each year? I have.
It’s no secret that time seems to pass by faster as we get older. You wear green to avoid getting pinched and next thing you know you’re listening to your drunk uncle telling shitty stories next to a decorated green tree. The months merge with one another, the seasons blur, and I think I know why.
As we get older, we tend to create less memories that exist outside of our routine-driven lives. Our days are scheduled, the people in our surroundings are familiar, and the work we do carries over into each subsequent day. We are creatures of habit and find an odd comfort in that. However, the one thing that withers away is the thing that brought us so much vibrancy when we were younger:
Curiosity.
When you are curious, you explore. When you explore, you create new memories. When you create new memories, you are present.
And when you are present, time moves with you, not against you.
Our childhoods are vivid because every day is a new experience. You may be constrained to your same physical surroundings, but every nuance is highlighted and magnified. When my brother was a little toddler, curiosity made him a true explorer around the house. My mom recalled the day he saw this weird red, funnel-shaped fireplace at our place for the first time, and it blew his little DMT-producing mind. He needed to touch it to witness and understand it in all its glory. And he did. While it was on and blazing hot.
Yup. Curiosity excites, but it can also teach you some tough lessons too.
In elementary school, I had a pet insect with a girl I had a huge crush on. However, I grew more fascinated with the insect when I found out that it would curl up into a little ball everytime I poked it with a stick. Then I found out that it’s called a ROLY POLY. What the fuck, how cool is that! My romance with the roly poly grew as my interest in the girl faded. Some would say that my curiosity was misguided, but the level of happiness I felt poking the little guy was unparalleled.
When we are curious, we excavate excitement. Tim Ferriss said that the opposite of happiness is not sadness, but boredom. And if this is the case, then excitement is the closest thing to pure happiness. When we yearn for new experiences and memories, we put ourselves in a state where we look for excitement in the smallest of things.
“The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is — here’s the clincher — boredom. Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase.” — Tim Ferriss
Living without curiosity puts life on autopilot.
If this is our one at-bat in life, then it should be our duty to soak in as much of it as we can. We tend to accelerate through our routines and everyday surroundings, not realizing that we are also that much closer to the end of the highway. When we engage in creative projects, meet intriguing people, and explore our surroundings with a little more interest, we create new memories and extract the most out of our ride.
Curiosity is what makes me feel like a human being. It’s the reason why I love making different types of music, exploring new creative outlets, and connecting with all types of folks. Time machines may not exist (yet), but curiosity is the one way you can transport yourself to childhood and experience all the benefits that come with it.
So try recording that melody that always comes to you when you sing in the shower. Instead of taking an Uber, try walking from Point A to Point B to see all the cool spots you never quite realized existed. Inquisitively ask that person how they fulfilled their dream of becoming a chef because you love to cook as well.
Without curiosity, we put our lives on cruise control and place it in the carpool lane. It moves by quicker than you think. So let’s slow it down by breaking the routine a bit each day and creating new memories in the process.
Simply put, curiosity is what makes us human.
It is what makes us… us.
And knowing that about us makes me truly happy.
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I’m Lawrence, and I am a musician that makes beats under the name Trebles and Blues. You can find all of my work here. There’s all types of vibes over there, so hopefully you will find something that suits your mood!
