Few things energize me like being around curious people. I love the questions they ask. the excitement they radiate, and the way they slow down to examine how things work.
I used to be more curious than I am today. I’m afraid my curiosity quotient has gone down over the years not only impacting my leadership but also impacting the wonder and awe I have for my Creator.
Somewhere along the way I became seduced by words like instant and ambition. I actually started to think faster was always better. I started to convince myself that ambition was a way of life.
Last night I finished Sabbath 
“Ambition leads to the demand for the shortest path between points to gain the most in the least amount of time; wonder calls the heart to explore the unexpected, nonlinear paths that often create a new unity that could not be expected when one first began.”
My translation: Hurry + Ambition = Death of Curiosity
I want to be filled with…
More questions and less conclusions.
More mystery and less assumptions.
More wonder and less equations.
Are you living a rhythm of life that leads to curiosity?
Pete…seriously…I love reading your stuff…it speaks volumes…
I think I am getting back on track…I think my son is a good reminder of curiosity…always fascinated with life and God’s creations…
The other day he told me how awesome it was that God made cows…I think he get’s it…
.-= Michael´s last blog ..Being A Parent Brings Me Joy =-.
my kids are a great example of this to me!
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
I think Im getting back on track. When our kids are toddlers everything amazes us. We hit the middle years of child rearing and it seems like the schedule takes over. Its easy to lose some of that wonder. Mine are in college now and my days are more my own. Less distractions. I can take the ‘less linear’ route and enjoy it. And I am.
.-= joyce´s last blog ..Legacy =-.
I certainly want to stay curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat but a failure to have it will kill me (internally). Good thoughts Pete.
LOVE this post, Pete.
I inherited my curiosity from my mother, who loves to ask questions, explore, and learn new things. But growing up in the evangelical Christian subculture, I often felt like such qualities were looked down upon, that good Christians approached life with an attitude of absolute certainty and unwavering conviction.
So I lost my way for a while – focusing more on the answers than the questions.
It took a faith crisis, a trip to India, and The Book of Common Prayer to bring me back to that childlike sense of wonder and curiosity that characterized my early faith.
Thanks for asking this great question. Really been enjoying your blog recently.
.-= Rachel H. Evans´s last blog ..The Christian Response to Health Care Reform =-.
Trips to India do wonders for your curiosity.
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
Great post! I watch my three year old wonder at the littlest thing and ask 10 thousand times…(sometimes I think she knows the answer and is only asking why to make me think about it.)
When we lose curiosity, life becomes drudgery. It is in discovering the new or rediscovering the old, that excitement is found.
.-= Dusty Rayburn´s last blog ..Three Hearts, One God =-.
Having four kids has helped with the slowing. The way they take in the world. Their questions and curious spirits make taking the time to be in awe and actually seeing a must. Or I would miss out.
A rhythm of life that leads to wonder and awe is a life of intentional slowing.
.-= jezamama´s last blog ..Mother Teresa’s Prayer =-.
I appreciate this post. However I feel for my personal life I need to make a distinction between curiosity and the ability to analyze. I have a tendency to relate the two and use “curiosity” as an excuse, much like you said this Sunday during service. I have a tendency to DO analyzing instead of just BEING curious in my heart.
For instance, say my brother and I are having a tough time communicating. I believe God has called us to reach out with our curiosity instead of over-analyzing the situation. Because with curiosity I believe there is love. When I am truly curious about my brothers ill-will toward me I look at where his heart is. When I am truly in my heart just analyzing the situation I tend to hear his words and become defensive instead of listening to his heart.
May I always be curious with my heart instead of relying on my sinful ability to rationalize. Because only He can truly remind me why things are the way they are.
Great application Niki.
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
There are times I do, and there are other times I skip to the ambition and definitely miss the wonder and awe.
.-= A Boy Named Tracy´s last blog ..No, I do not want to sign up for your credit card! =-.
Curiosity is the very thing that allows us to notice that the works of God’s hand can actually glorify Him…trees, mountains, oceans, you name it. I imagine if we just read from books with exploring “why” they were written, we’d just be getting only the basics.
But there needs to be a balance between being overly curious and being content with a certain amount of knowledge…it comes at the right time too.
.-= Jaycee´s last blog ..How Ravaging Scandals are Disguised Under the Name of God: =-.
Nope, because I feel like if I am curious I am just left with nothing. Like everyone is going to pass me up if I do not get ahead of things as fast as possible.
Oh my! Oh my.
But I would like to be able to gain conclusions from all that I discover. Just once in awhile. Sigh.
Sometimes I feel like I’m filling my poor brain up with information because my curiosity overwhelms me.
I guess you’re saying this is a good thing for me. Ok … I’m fine with that! *grin*
.-= Diane Muir´s last blog ..What is your superpower? =-.
I think curiosity will lead to productivity in our lives but I’m not sure it should ever be the goal. Does that make sense?
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
Curiosity is one of those things with me that is like the moon – sometimes it is waxing on and sometimes is is waning off.
I am trying really hard to not squash it in my kids – I have seen it done and it is a sad thing to see kids have that squashed in them. I want my kids to be as curious as possible and they will partly learn from me. So I need to be waxing on a whole lot more!
Thanks for the post and encouragement.
I think patience is truly at the root of this. And that very patience is what we deny in order to manually create what it is that we believe God wants us to create… that’s where we lose. We lose the learning, maturing, trusting, enduring. We are left with the maintaining, manufacturing and stress – not at all the abundant life God desires for us in the first place.
When we are curious, I think the natural byproduct is patience, the “what’s next Papa” spirit. That really connects well in my heart. Thanks for the reminder.
.-= Angus Nelson´s last blog ..Young Love, F-Bombs, and Beautiful Tears =-.
Couldn’t agree more Angus!
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
Maybe it’s because I’m still kind of new in my faith (I got baptized in July of ’09, started going to church and admitting my feelings toward G-d in May), but I do have that curiosity still. For the most part, anyway. I am a special case, though, because I’m a Theology major.
Still, when I was baptized, I was like, “I dunno… I dunno about this. I hope I’m hearing right.” And still and yet, five days out of seven, I read at least a couple chapters. And what shows my curiosity is that I often don’t want to stop reading!
.-= Samantha´s last blog ..042 =-.
I don’t know if it is just me, but I have noticed that this generation of post-moderns tend to be apathetic towards anything outside of their realm of interest (myself included). In a social networking world plagued by subtle narcissism, we so often forget curiosity that creates character and makes life all the more interesting. I need to ask more questions and spend less time talking about myself.
Dang! That was convicting. Thanks Kevin.
.-= pete wilson´s last blog ..The Death of Curiosity =-.
I tend to approach curiosity differently. I search for answers. And answers always get bigger for me.
I’m actually annoyed when people focus on questions that aren’t properly directed. For me, answers get big enough as it is without wondering off on questions that aren’t really after answers.
That’s my take. I’ve noticed the trend the other way, though, so I’m trying to understand that more. Answers seem like a young person’s game too, so perhaps I’ll grow out of it.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
.-= bondChristian´s last blog ..Realizing =-.
i get so caught up with living that i forget to have a life.
my son reminds me everyday to keep the wonder and the child-like-ness in me alive. he reminds me by reminding me to breathe, to play, to laugh, to relax for a hug.
thank God for children. their souls are so untainted and beautiful.
.-= patricia´s last blog ..all things new. =-.
I 100% agree with you Peter. I find that when I am not living in a proper rhythm the first thing that goes is my curiosity and creativity. Awesome post Pete!
.-= Kevin M.´s last blog ..Most Christians are not faithful =-.
I’m curious if the subject interests me. I’m beginning to realize that’s causing me to miss a lot of things that I might find interesting.
.-= Jason´s last blog ..A palate cleanser courtesy of the 80s =-.
Though curious, I am too often prone to just want the basic facts. I like things concise and to the point. I’m afraid that has robbed me of the value of the details and the journey that gets me to the destination. Thanks for the reminder that slowing down to be curious and to explore is important in our lives…to enhance our leadership and to appreciate the wonder of our Creator.
.-= Randy Kinnick´s last blog ..Be Careful What You Love =-.
I tend to feel like I HAVE to find answers, and HAVE to find them now!…. We are the generation that “needs” questions answered right when we ask them… There really isn’t a waiting process anymore. We get frustrated when we have to wait an hour at the DMV or wait to get results back on a test – or even get angry at God when He doesn’t answer our questions right away.
I like it when I can catch myself being curious and simply waiting… It makes life waaaaay more simpler, and far more enjoyable.
.-= Samantha Marie´s last blog ..Something Sweet =-.
My husband is the essence of curiosity. It is scary sometimes because he delves deeper into theology and comes up with new thoughts. He inspires me to think through things and figure out why I believe what i believe. he’s great!
That’s great Dawn.
I’m relentlessly curious, but I’ve found that for the most part, my sphere of acquaintances has found it to be a detriment to their mundane lives than anything else. I come up with something interesting and unique, but all I get is a shrug of the shoulders when I share it. As a result, I often internalize my findings, and it just isn’t as much fun as when I get to share it. So to add to your equation, I would say that Nowhere to share + No one to listen = Death of Curiosity too.
.-= Loren C. Klein´s last blog ..Silence! =-.
I loved this read. I am a curious person. When I was younger, it got me into a lot of trouble, so now I have learned to wait for things/people to reveal it/themselves. I like learning for the sake of learning. There are things, that has no practical use where it can earn money or even a place within daily conversations. Yet, it feels grand to know. It makes life grand and awesome and sometimes disgusting but its Life in all its hues.
Life is more of an adventure when there are more questions than answers.
Pete great point! When I think of death of curosity my equation is slightly different.
My translation: Disappointment + Ambition = Death of Curiosity
.-= Janet King´s last blog ..You are Missing a Great Relationship =-.
Thank you!! Thank you for sharing…it’s far too easy to become BUSY. For me, life, kids, writing, groceries, food (they want to eat AGAIN?) … sometimes it’s easy to push it all aside and forget to stop and look around.
It’s in the stopping and looking around that we might just find the next great adventure.
Thanks.
Curiosity is a discipline. It comes by forcing yourself to explore questions and possibilities that may not be readily evident. But I don’t think we need to have less conclusions, assumptions or equations – we just have to have less unchallenged conclusions, assumptions, and equations.
.-= Ken Eastburn´s last blog ..Do Apologetics Work? =-.