Return to Curiosity

On a weekend getaway, my 5-year-old son recently asked me, “Dad, what’s the longest highway in the US?” I looked in the rear-view mirror and simply said to him, “that’s a great question, I am not sure. Let’s call your Papa (his Grandpa and my Dad) and see what he thinks.” My Dad is a knowledgeable guy. He always seems to know the answer to difficult questions. We called him on the phone and he gave his best answer. It turns out he was wrong. My wife looked it up and found out that in fact, US Route 20 is the longest highway. Who knew? Well, now we all do.

If you have ever spent time with 5-year old’s, you know that their curiosity runs rampant. It’s borderline annoying at times. They’re always asking why something is the way it is. From my perspective, curiosity seems amazingly innate. Every 5-year-old has the capacity to ask questions. Some have their curiosity nurtured while others have it neutered. However, I do firmly believe we all have curiosity inside of us.

Yet, something happens to us as we age. We have tests in school where we are rewarded for knowing information. We have jobs where we are supposed to have the expertise to answer complex challenges. As parents, our kids expect us to answer all of their questions. Technology has provided us with instant answers. As a society, we often value conviction over curiosity. But, what if we didn’t? What if we returned to the curiosity of our 5-year-old selves before we shared our convictions? What would that look like? What would it sound like? How would it impact your conversations with people you may disagree with?

It’s hard to learn without curiosity, and it’s hard to grow without learning. If we want to continue to grow, then curiosity is a must. 

Here’s my challenge to you: the next time you feel convicted in your beliefs, when you have the urge to defend yourself, take a pause and step into your 5-year-old curious mind. I may be wrong, but I think you might be grateful for doing so. At the very least, you’ll learn something along the way.

I am curious to hear if this resonated with you. Shoot me a note and share your perspective about curiosity (Brian@strongskills.co). I am excited to learn with you.