Enjoyed the post. I wanted to write in to make sure that Lewis Fry Richardson's contribution to the Coastline Paradox (or as he put it, "The Problem of Contiguity: An Appendix to Statistics of Deadly Quarrels"), is acknowledged!
My goodness, Richardson's work was something I had during lectures 35 years or so ago - I always think of Mandelbrot first with coastline's but Richardson was certainly alongside, maybe even a little ahead - great reminder, thank you
Here's what has worked for me, expressed through these quotes and mottos:
Start with the Royal Society's timeless motto: Nullius in verba (Latin for "take nobody's word for it"). It’s a reminder to question authority and think critically. From there, let curiosity guide you—to a new field, book, post, paper—wherever it takes you.
Once curiosity takes hold, the following wisdom offers a clear path forward:
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
― Buddha Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni
However, curiosity isn’t about clinging to absolute truths. As Richard P. Feynman reminds us, leaving room for uncertainty is essential:
“I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong. If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives. We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain … In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar.”
In Summary:
These principles form a simple yet transformative guide for living a curious and meaningful life:
Question everything—authority, tradition, and even your assumptions.
Explore widely—embrace new ideas, disciplines, and perspectives.
Reason carefully—seek truth through observation, analysis, and thoughtful reflection.
Stay humble—recognize uncertainty as a vital part of growth and progress.
By pairing curiosity with humility and reason, we expand our understanding and find joy and wonder in the endless possibilities of life.
I will end this with one of my favorite quotes and something I am reminded of daily. It is attributed to Albert Einstein:
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
This is a fantastic expansion on the theme, thank you! I really appreciate you sharing the framework that guides your own curiosity – it's a powerful synthesis.
Your framework with with these quotes is a perfect blend of principled skepticism (Nullius in verba), mindful inquiry (Buddha), embracing the unknown (Feynman), and intellectual humility (Einstein).
This perfectly captures the point that curiosity isn't just a fleeting feeling, but a practice that can be guided by profound wisdom. The quotes add the crucial layer of verification through reason and observation, moving beyond mere contrarianism.
Feynman's perspective on uncertainty is, I think, one quarter of the heart of sustained curiosity, preventing it from hardening into dogma. And the Einstein quote beautifully captures the humility that genuine learning fosters, which connects strongly to the sense of 'awe' I mentioned.
Your summary provides an excellent roadmap for cultivating this 'superpower'.
As usual, I read an article from top to bottom and then go back and read it from bottom to top (the last paragraph from top to bottom first, then one before, and so on). I often gain different insights when I do this, likely because I already know the conclusion. However, I’ve noticed that I tend to focus on other parts during reverse reading compared to when I reread the article in the regular order. This method helps me dive deeper into the content and uncover new perspectives.
Have you tried it? If so, how does it work for you?
I developed this idea long ago by watching a 4-year-old (she would read the book's last chapter to know the end and then read the book from start to end) who eventually became a neurologist. She could have become anything she wanted and is the most intelligent person I know.
I have done this as well. It's somewhat an extension of Mortimer Adler's recommended in How to read a book, to read the the intro first, read the conclusion, and then begin the first chapter. This scaffolds the mind for the information. Reading coaches often have clients read something word by word backwards, to improve reading. Rather intriguing, isn't it. I'm sure there is research on this but I've not recently checked for it.
I haven’t read the above book. As I mentioned, I learned this method by observing a 4-year-old over 25 years ago and then developed a technique that worked for me. This approach has allowed me to comprehend more than most people around me, even though we were all reading the same documents.
Yes, I read where you said you watched the 4 year old. Hum, perhaps 4 year old do so naturally , and then we ask them to read the “right’ way. I can see how reading with your approach would enhance a novel way to comprehend differently, and I will try to do it later .
I can also read upside down, but I do not always do it. I do it when I want to read someone else's paper or document without asking them to reverse it. I never thought others could not do it, as it came very naturally to me.
I just tested to see if my son can read upside down, and he can. I thought that maybe since I knew how to read and write, more than one language helped me do it. He can read and write in three languages, but English is the only common language. I will find someone who knows how to read and write only one language and see if this person can do it.
Now, these interactions and curiosity have launched an experiment.
I am a private tutor. i have several clients who speak only English ( ages 8-16) who do NOT like to read, often skip over words while read yet, are highly comprehensive, struggle to spell correctly or to have ease with writing. ALL of can read up upside down as well as they read right side up, they can read diagonally as well as print backwards and at an ankle Without turning their head. And, I'd add, all of them are highly creative and can make a metaphor without blinking an eye. It's been fascinating to observe this .
Somehow, someway, for some reason or maybe no reason, Mother Nature infused us with this curious characteristic of curiosity. I can only assume that this drove our ancestors down from the trees, to stand on their hind legs and look around from a different vantage point, and begin exploring the world on the ground.
Combined with even basic observation, such as the first time one of our ancestors struck two flints together and saw the resulting spark, and then directed that spark to some dried leaves and twigs. Or when someone first noticed that logs roll. Or when someone realized they could slice slabs off that log to create a lighter more efficient way to roll.
And so, here we are, having come from the stone age, into electrification, the space age and now the internet age. Where we go from here is anyone's guess. One thing for sure is we will keep going, as we always have, for however long we can.
Thank you for this wonderful comment! I really like the way you've framed curiosity as this fundamental, almost primal force "infused" into us.
This is a fantastic sentence "Somehow, someway, for some reason or maybe no reason, Mother Nature infused us with this curious characteristic of curiosity."
Thinking of it as the force that brought us down from the trees and led to discovering fire and the wheel really grounds the concept. It beautifully illustrates that long, unbroken line of inquiry and exploration that continues to drive us forward, as you say, "for however long we can." It's a powerful reminder of just how fundamental this trait is.
My father used to say "most men die at 40, and are buried at 70". Now I know why - hebetude. Thank you again for an inspiring article.
That is certainly an incomplete life, so well summed up by hebetude... such a descriptive word. Thank you.
Brilliant. Inspirational. 👍
Thank You.
Enjoyed the post. I wanted to write in to make sure that Lewis Fry Richardson's contribution to the Coastline Paradox (or as he put it, "The Problem of Contiguity: An Appendix to Statistics of Deadly Quarrels"), is acknowledged!
My goodness, Richardson's work was something I had during lectures 35 years or so ago - I always think of Mandelbrot first with coastline's but Richardson was certainly alongside, maybe even a little ahead - great reminder, thank you
Absolutely!
Here's what has worked for me, expressed through these quotes and mottos:
Start with the Royal Society's timeless motto: Nullius in verba (Latin for "take nobody's word for it"). It’s a reminder to question authority and think critically. From there, let curiosity guide you—to a new field, book, post, paper—wherever it takes you.
Once curiosity takes hold, the following wisdom offers a clear path forward:
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
― Buddha Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni
However, curiosity isn’t about clinging to absolute truths. As Richard P. Feynman reminds us, leaving room for uncertainty is essential:
“I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong. If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives. We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain … In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar.”
In Summary:
These principles form a simple yet transformative guide for living a curious and meaningful life:
Question everything—authority, tradition, and even your assumptions.
Explore widely—embrace new ideas, disciplines, and perspectives.
Reason carefully—seek truth through observation, analysis, and thoughtful reflection.
Stay humble—recognize uncertainty as a vital part of growth and progress.
By pairing curiosity with humility and reason, we expand our understanding and find joy and wonder in the endless possibilities of life.
I will end this with one of my favorite quotes and something I am reminded of daily. It is attributed to Albert Einstein:
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
This is a fantastic expansion on the theme, thank you! I really appreciate you sharing the framework that guides your own curiosity – it's a powerful synthesis.
Your framework with with these quotes is a perfect blend of principled skepticism (Nullius in verba), mindful inquiry (Buddha), embracing the unknown (Feynman), and intellectual humility (Einstein).
This perfectly captures the point that curiosity isn't just a fleeting feeling, but a practice that can be guided by profound wisdom. The quotes add the crucial layer of verification through reason and observation, moving beyond mere contrarianism.
Feynman's perspective on uncertainty is, I think, one quarter of the heart of sustained curiosity, preventing it from hardening into dogma. And the Einstein quote beautifully captures the humility that genuine learning fosters, which connects strongly to the sense of 'awe' I mentioned.
Your summary provides an excellent roadmap for cultivating this 'superpower'.
Have you ever tried this approach?
As usual, I read an article from top to bottom and then go back and read it from bottom to top (the last paragraph from top to bottom first, then one before, and so on). I often gain different insights when I do this, likely because I already know the conclusion. However, I’ve noticed that I tend to focus on other parts during reverse reading compared to when I reread the article in the regular order. This method helps me dive deeper into the content and uncover new perspectives.
Have you tried it? If so, how does it work for you?
I developed this idea long ago by watching a 4-year-old (she would read the book's last chapter to know the end and then read the book from start to end) who eventually became a neurologist. She could have become anything she wanted and is the most intelligent person I know.
I have done this as well. It's somewhat an extension of Mortimer Adler's recommended in How to read a book, to read the the intro first, read the conclusion, and then begin the first chapter. This scaffolds the mind for the information. Reading coaches often have clients read something word by word backwards, to improve reading. Rather intriguing, isn't it. I'm sure there is research on this but I've not recently checked for it.
Mortimer Adler, there is someone I must revisit.
I haven’t read the above book. As I mentioned, I learned this method by observing a 4-year-old over 25 years ago and then developed a technique that worked for me. This approach has allowed me to comprehend more than most people around me, even though we were all reading the same documents.
Yes, I read where you said you watched the 4 year old. Hum, perhaps 4 year old do so naturally , and then we ask them to read the “right’ way. I can see how reading with your approach would enhance a novel way to comprehend differently, and I will try to do it later .
It's possible. However, that four-year-old is nearly a genius, has an MD/PhD, and several other accomplishments. I am not in her league by any means.
Never. I have a colleague, Professor of quantum physics, who reads upside down. I will try your suggestion
I can also read upside down, but I do not always do it. I do it when I want to read someone else's paper or document without asking them to reverse it. I never thought others could not do it, as it came very naturally to me.
I just tested to see if my son can read upside down, and he can. I thought that maybe since I knew how to read and write, more than one language helped me do it. He can read and write in three languages, but English is the only common language. I will find someone who knows how to read and write only one language and see if this person can do it.
Now, these interactions and curiosity have launched an experiment.
I am a private tutor. i have several clients who speak only English ( ages 8-16) who do NOT like to read, often skip over words while read yet, are highly comprehensive, struggle to spell correctly or to have ease with writing. ALL of can read up upside down as well as they read right side up, they can read diagonally as well as print backwards and at an ankle Without turning their head. And, I'd add, all of them are highly creative and can make a metaphor without blinking an eye. It's been fascinating to observe this .
Somehow, someway, for some reason or maybe no reason, Mother Nature infused us with this curious characteristic of curiosity. I can only assume that this drove our ancestors down from the trees, to stand on their hind legs and look around from a different vantage point, and begin exploring the world on the ground.
Combined with even basic observation, such as the first time one of our ancestors struck two flints together and saw the resulting spark, and then directed that spark to some dried leaves and twigs. Or when someone first noticed that logs roll. Or when someone realized they could slice slabs off that log to create a lighter more efficient way to roll.
And so, here we are, having come from the stone age, into electrification, the space age and now the internet age. Where we go from here is anyone's guess. One thing for sure is we will keep going, as we always have, for however long we can.
Thank you for this wonderful comment! I really like the way you've framed curiosity as this fundamental, almost primal force "infused" into us.
This is a fantastic sentence "Somehow, someway, for some reason or maybe no reason, Mother Nature infused us with this curious characteristic of curiosity."
Thinking of it as the force that brought us down from the trees and led to discovering fire and the wheel really grounds the concept. It beautifully illustrates that long, unbroken line of inquiry and exploration that continues to drive us forward, as you say, "for however long we can." It's a powerful reminder of just how fundamental this trait is.