When Did We Stop Being Curious?

This is one of those thoughts that randomly hit me, and now I can't stop thinking about it.

When did we stop being curious?

Not because we suddenly had all the answers, but because somewhere along the way we became more afraid of looking stupid than we were excited to learn something new.

As kids, we'd ask why about absolutely everything. We didn't care if it was a "dumb" question. We weren't worried about looking smart. We just wanted to understand.

Then we grew up.

Now people apologize before asking a question. They'd rather stay confused than admit they don't know something. Somehow, pretending to know became cooler than actually learning.

And I honestly don't get it.

If there's one thing about me that I hope I never lose, it's my curiosity.

I collect hobbies the way some people collect shoes.

One month I'm completely obsessed with learning something new. The next, I've found another skill that has all of my attention. I'll hyper-fixate on it, watch videos, read about it, practice until I feel like I've made progress, and then eventually something else catches my interest.

Some people look at that and think I can't make up my mind.

I look at it differently.

Every hobby, every random interest, every skill I've picked up has taught me something. Maybe not enough to become an expert, but enough to leave me a little more capable than I was before.

I don't think curiosity is about mastering everything.

I think it's about refusing to stop exploring.

Looking back, some of my favorite memories started with me simply asking, "I wonder if I could do that."

Sometimes it worked out.

Sometimes I was terrible at it.

Sometimes I realized it wasn't for me.

But I never regretted trying.

I'd rather spend my life collecting experiences than collecting excuses for why I never started.

I think we've become so focused on being good at something immediately that we've forgotten what it's feels like to be a beginner.

Being a beginner is uncomfortable.

It's awkward.

It's humbling.

But it's also where every interesting person you've ever met started.

Nobody wakes up knowing how to fly an airplane, play an instrument, speak another language, build a business, or master a sport. They all started by asking questions, making mistakes, and looking a little foolish.

And maybe that's the part we're all trying too hard to avoid.

The older I get, the less impressed I am by people who have all the answers.

I'm far more impressed by the ones who never stop asking questions.

Curiosity has taken me places I never expected. It's introduced me to new people, new perspectives, and parts of myself I didn't even know existed.

I hope I never become the person who says, "I'm too old to learn that."

I hope I'm still the eighty-year-old who randomly decides to pick up a new hobby just because it sounds fun.

Life is too interesting to only know one version of it.

So here's what I'm curious about...

What's one skill or hobby you've always wanted to try but keep talking yourself out of?

Maybe this is your sign to stop wondering... and just start.

Till next time HOTTIES (mwah)