Curiousity – How Much Do You Have?
Posted on 18. Mar, 2012 by charles in Entrepreneurs, Inventors, Scientists, Self Development
It is said that curiousity killed the cat. It has also been the factor that has led people to create new inventions, explore new places and develop new ideas. In the process, some people have become millionaires because they were curious.
People like Thomas Edison, who founded the enormous General Electric Company was always curious. He wanted to find out how machines worked and to create better ones. As a result, he gained 1079 patents.
People who are curious are more likely to ask unusual questions and search for answers. While some will ask the question why, the really curious person will ask why not. They want to go beyond the existing boundaries. That is what led to scientific breakthroughs such as Dr Louis Pasteur’s discovery of bacteria. Later Alexander Fleming was curious to see why some bacteria had been killed by a fungus and discovered penicillin.
However, does our education system encourage curiousity. It should be a main theme in every classroom. Linked to it we need courses in how to exploit the ideas through innovation and development.
After researching the lives of over 500 people to develop the Amazing People Publications, I am convinced that a major factor in their lives was curiousity and how to develop what they found. It means taking risks to go beyond the beaten track. How do you rate yourself on curiousity and also on the development of what you find? Here are some areas to rate yourself out of 10 on both the looking and the developing aspects :
Business – Sport – Art – Science – Exploration – Others – please add.
Lizzie
Mar 20th, 2012
Yes, I do believe that curiousity in the classroom is lacking. As a parent, I know that children are like ‘sponges’ when it comes to soaking up information, they are hungry for it. It is at this age, parents and educators need to encourage their natural curiousity. The feats of amazing people are clearly the results of inquisitive minds.
On the subject of ‘curiousity killed the cat” and being a bit of an animal lover myself (by the way nice to see you including some of ‘man’s best friends’ in your blog!) – I decided to look up where this saying came from.
Did you know that “Curiousity killed the cat” has a less frequently used rejoinder of ‘satisfaction brought it back”? So in keeping with your theory on the curiousity of amazing people, it stands to reason that their success and achievements would bring a certain sense of satisfaction. The earliest documented reference to this proverb is found in a 1598 play ‘Every Man in His Humour’ by British playwright Ben Jonson and performed by none other than the Amazing William Shakespeare!!! Later, Shakespeare used a form of the proverb in his play “Much Ado About Nothing”:- ‘What, courage man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.”.
Thank you Charles, for stirring MY sense of curiousity, I have now learned something new and shared it…. long live the curious mind.!
Yours,
Lizzie Mc.