Ask anyways
“The way to increase curiosity is to remove the obstacles” — Angela Duckworth, Author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Being deeply curious is key to better understanding and appreciating anything in life.
The way you exercise deep curiosity is by routinely asking questions that help light the way to understanding — including ones that you think others might find silly, strange, or stupid.
The fear of what others might think is probably the single biggest barrier to freely exercising curiosity, and by extension one’s pursuit of knowledge. It’s like trying to get around in a car with 500 tons in the trunk.
The next time you feel the urge to hold back the questions you need to ask out of concern for what others might think, remember that the pursuit of knowledge is yours to champion.
Will some people find some questions stupid some of the time? Yes. People have opinions — there is no getting around that. But, to the extent that knowledge and understanding matters, it’s far better to ask and finally know the answer than to remain not knowing.
The sooner you are able to embrace asking all questions that matter to you, the sooner you can begin to freely, confidently, and shamelessly explore all facets of life in a way that you perhaps never knew was possible.
