Curiosity......
Mahendra "Speedy" Gonsalkorale
There are many definitions of curiosity.
The urge you feel to know more about something or
someone.
The desire to learn or know about anything.
Curiosity is associated with a strong desire to know about
things, from how a machine works to why people fall ill, from why there are
storms to how we make decisions on probability.
And there are many aphorisms associated with curiosity. To cite
a few.
"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning": William
Arthur Ward, an American author, said this in the 1800s.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious”: Albert
Einstein.
“Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. What people call
intelligence boils down to curiosity.” Aaron Swartz. American computer
programmer associated with the website Reddit.
“If you can let go of passion and follow your curiosity,
your curiosity just might lead you to your passion.” Elizabeth Gilbert. American
Journalist and Author.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity
has its own reason for existing.”: Albert Einstein
Curiosity leads to asking questions and seeking answers through reading and other information-seeking methods, leading to understanding and wisdom (rather than mere knowledge accumulation).
I remember very fondly one of my teachers at Royal College, Mr Arulanandan, who repeatedly told us, “Always ask the question - why?” At home, I drove my mother insane by repeatedly asking her why. In desperation, she used to say, “Because I say so!”
Looking back on my days as a medical student in Colombo, I had this persistent desire to ask the question, "Why?" When you study
a subject, you need more than simply reading the text to give you a critical appraisal of
the subject, and that is why I love books that pose questions at the end of each
chapter that you need to answer before you move on to the next one.
When dealing with a patient with a problem, I was intensely curious to discover why he had those particular symptoms and try to explain them. Without curiosity, I doubt whether I would have acquired helpful knowledge. Neurology was especially appealing in commencing a path of discovery with a question followed by a step-by-step dissection of the problem, leading to what more data is needed and, finally, an answer. This, of course, applies to any branch of medicine.
Doctors accumulate vast amounts of data. This data has to be connected and relevant if they want to turn knowledge into wisdom. Curiosity helps in this process, and we develop internal classifications and connections that organise data and help us retrieve it productively.
Some of our teachers who encouraged us to be curious were
Dr Wickrema Wijenaike, Dr Carlo Fonseka,
Dr Oliver Pieris, Dr Lester Jayawardena, Dr George Ratnavale and many more.
Curiosity makes learning fun! Food tastes so much better if you are hungry!
If our forefathers had not been curious, I doubt we would have achieved so much in human history.
I hope I have said enough to provoke responses from the Blog's readers. Let us have a healthy discussion. I don’t believe that “curiosity
killed the cat”!
I am just curious!
FOOTNOTE added on 26th October 2024
Thanks to all the contributors. To all readers of this post, please read the insightful comments to gain maximum benefit. Finally, how many are curious to know why I am also called "Speedy"?
As I look back something that amazes me no end is the way my children and their children learn and acquire knowledge. As Mahendra has so beautifully illustrated with words, curiosity is a common trait we all possess that helps us to learn. Some are more curious than others.
ReplyDeleteOne of my abiding memories is the curiosity I had in the chemistry lab with all the reagents and their actions and interactions.
My curiosity blossomed in the medical faculty right the way from the dissections to patient care. The mind was like a blotting paper of old.
Like every trait we have, curiosity has positive and negative effects. We are all aware of that aphorism “curiosity killed the cat”. Even curiosity has to be used wisely.
Thanks for your comment Nihal. As you righty say, all of us are curious by Nature. I think it is an evolutionary trait essential for survival in a hostile world. When I look at sad photos and video clips of the horrible wars that are going on at the moment, I cannot help but look in wonderment how kids caught in it are kept "happy" by their curious nature as they pick up potentially dangerous material for closer inspection. Yes, curiosity just like so many human traits can serve or destroy.
ReplyDeleteComing tothe phrase curiosity killed the cat", this was not as I imagined, a cat playing with a dangerous incendiary device! Here is what Google (with AI) says:- The idiom “curiosity killed the cat” originated from the phrase “care killed the cat,” which was used in the 1598 play Every Man in His Humour by Ben Jonson:
Every Man in His Humour: “Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care 'll kill a cat, up-tails all, and a louse for the hangman”
The word “care” in Jonson's time was used to mean “nosiness” or “sorrow”. The phrase was used to convey that negative emotions like worry and sorrow can cause stress that damages the body and mind.
The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” is used to warn people against trying to find out about something that doesn't concern them. It's often used when someone continues to ask prying questions
I hope many others will respond with their views and experience with curiosity- I really am curious!
FROM PROF MAHESH NIRMALAN, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
ReplyDelete"Thanks, Mahendra. Agree that curiosity should be at the heart of learning. However, unfortunately, the current emphasis on evidence based medicine and protocol driven medicine seems to discourage this somewhat. People are being trained to follow a set of protocols or algorithms in response to a collection of signs/symptoms rather than ask why...."the trials say so" or "we follow the protocol" are the usual rationale used"
Thanks Nirmalan. This trend in my view is unfortunate. But I feel that medical educators can play a role in providing a balanced view. Algorithms and protocols have a place and we should enourage our students to be curious about the basis of these and ask questions about them.
ReplyDeletePROF NIROSHINI NIRMALAN
ReplyDeleteNice thoughts in the article...to be honest we seem to have got into a situation where we don't have time to be curious...this faster, bigger, better rat race is a terrible thief of time, doesn't have much to show at the end either
Thanks for your comment Niro. You echo the thoughts of many that we are living in a time where there is no time for sensible and measured action because of this "instant, fast" action culture which seem fashionable at the moment
ReplyDeleteThank you Mahendra for initiating an interesting discussion about curiosity. In my opinion curiosity is viewed differently in diverse cultures. In the West sometimes it is considered to be rude to be curious because it may encroach on someone's privacy. In our culture it is viewed differently and few parents encourage it. Most of our parents stifle us during our formative years. I refer to it as the "Epa" culture! If a 5 year old gets on to a chair, the parents would say "Don't don't, you may fall". Conformity to established modes of day to day behaviour is encouraged at the expense of innovation. I think that is one of the main reasons for there to be rather few inventions by Sri Lankans, although our population exceeds 22 million .
ReplyDeleteSanath, my thanks to you for joining the discussion. You are quite right when you say that curiosity is viewed differently in diverse cultures. This appears to be due to many factors. For example, because of traditionally held beliefs which might be threatened by scientific curiosity (e.g, in Sri Lanka, most important events are times according to Astrological beliefs). Curiosity here may be seen as a threat and a subversive influence. Scientific query and openess is more evident in modern cultures and societies. Curiosity as you said, has issues of privacy. Escessive curiosity can be viewed as unwarranted attempts to delve into what are private and confidentail.
ReplyDeleteBut the thrust of my post was on the benefits to our profession in having an open and questioning attitude. In the end, it is my belief that we will serve the needs of our patients by being better equipped to help them. Curiosity also has a chastening effect as quoted so often as "the more I try to know, the less I know". It was Socrates who said ""I know that I know nothing"! Curiosity like most things in life, has positive and negative features. To me curiosity is "the engine of knowledge, the foundation of wonder, and the spark that propels us toward discovery and meaning".
Another cultural aspect I should have mentioned is traditional Hierarchical structures. Curiosity can lead to questioning of your elders, or teachers and could be seen as disrespectful. Some teachers discourage curiosity to proectd their ignorance. Children learn very quickly when, how and with whom they can dare to be curious.
ReplyDeleteHEMAL JAYASURIYA
ReplyDeleteA terrific and thought provoking BLOG, Mahendra. CURIOSITY, is central to SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - Reduction, Refutation, Repeatability, are KEY TO SCIENCE, as is the concept of OBSERVATION. The Curiosity - WHY, WHY, Question, always drives Research forwards! This whole is catalysed by thinking, which results in HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION, followed by Experimentation to test the Hypothesis. So as you say, you cannot overstate its IMPORTANCE, as you have rightly done.
Hemal
Speedy
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing the subject Curiosity for discussion.
Thank you also for enlightening us about the origin of the idiom " curiosity killed the cat" I had wondered about it
As several of you have pointed out the practice of questioning our elders and teachers is frowned on here in SL.It s been considered a mark of disrespect.
Only a few really wise teachers like Carlo encouraged it.
Though it can be at times be irritating, I do try to answer the endless questions of Why ? by my 6 grands. Apart from making you find out the answers, it also teaches you to be patient! I lets keep our curiosity alive .
Suri
“Curiouser annd curiouser” said Alice (in Wonderland) after falling down the rabbit hole, drinking the liquid labeled “Drink me,” which made her shrink, and eating the cake which was labeled “Eat me,” which made her gigantic! Alice was curious and unafraid to try anything.
ReplyDeleteMahen, thank you for posting this interesting article and starting the conversation about curiosity.
Curiosity is an important quality which makes us adventurous and pushes us to step outside our comfort zones.
Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, Ernest Shackleton and others were curious. It was curiosity which spurred us to explore outer space. Curiosity drove archeologists and scientists to learn about our past and the world around us.
Curiosity is an important driving force in human development and should be encouraged in the young. And, in spite of our greying hair, curiosity keeps us young.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mahen that curiosity is a required quality to be a good physician. Unfortunately, during our years in medical college it was not nurtured. We were not encouraged to ask qustions or think independently. Some of our professors expected us to regurgitate their lecture notes. There were notable exceptions, of course. I really hope that it is different for medical students nowadays.
Like Prof. Mahesh Nirmalan, who has commented above, I have misgivings about the current trends in medical practice where doctors are expected to follow specific protocols and algorithms. In the US a doctor can be penalized by the insurance companies for not following specified protocols. They may not get reimbursed for a particular procedure which was not approved.
I was fortunate to have practiced pathology at a time when I could be a true “medical detective” and try to find out exactly what was wrong with the patient whose biopsy was under my microscope lens, without ordering a battery of special stains according to a specified protocol. It required talking to the patient’s physician, and getting a history and relevant information. Not very “high tech” but far more satisfying.
Thanks for commenting Suri. I am still waiting patiently for more views on this importanyt subject. You said "I do try to answer the endless questions of Why ? by my 6 grands. Apart from making you find out the answers, it also teaches you to be patient!"- Another benefit of being curious and encouaging curiosity!
ReplyDeleteSrianee, a wonderful response to my post! You are spot on when you stated "Curiosity is an important quality which makes us adventurous and pushes us to step outside our comfort zones". I can't think of any valid reason to support "non-curiosity" but as I said, everything has another side to it. Persistent curiosity into areas in a person's life which they like to keep private can be annoying and counter-productive. But returning to my theme of why doctors should be curious, I can only see benefits both to the doctor and the patient.
ReplyDeleteSome Teachers find it a bit uncomfortable to be faced with students who ask "difficult questions" but in my view, they thereby display a weakness, a weakness they want to hide. I admire Teachers who promote questioning and I admire even more those teachers who admit "I don't know". They don't regard not knowing as a weakness. Oliver Pieris was one such Teacher.
Prof Narada Warnasuriya
ReplyDeleteI read your well compiled piece on curiosity and the blog that follows with great interest.I think curiosity is essential for a person to have an interesting life
It has to be tempered with some restraint depending on the circumstances.
Thanks for adding your views Narada, wise words. Restraint is also a sign of a mature person. I agree
ReplyDeleteMahen, 'Curiosity' is different from being 'nosy' don't you think? Maybe there is a range or spectrum for Curiosity. The good type of curiosity that inspires one to achieve great things (the inquiring mind) and the worst kind, when people poke their noses into other people's business!!
ReplyDeleteStanee, I think that all nosy persons are curious but not all curious persons are nosy!
DeleteThanks to all who commented and shared their thoughts on what I thought was an important topic. I note that the majority of comments came from people outside our group. To them a big thank you. This blog is clearly not a suitable forum to discuss such deep matters. Thanks to ND, Srianee, Lama and Suri for their comments.
ReplyDeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteApologies for the late response.
Curiosity has produced a very stimulating exchange of views – it included topics like protocols for managing patients to exploring territories. Thank you for putting Curiosity on the table.
Curiosity has driven some explorers to discover other territories (even beyond our planet) and communities. Later greed for power and wealth coupled with the advantage of guns led to domination and conquest, for better or for worse.
Curiosity can also be a driving force for social interaction and cohesion. Such interactions are essential to keep the human mind active, especially for folk like us. Despite its potential to enrich us, it can also lead to unpleasant gossips and erosion of friendships and aggression.
I am also curious to know more about the celebrities I admire. Unfortunately the information we receive through the media may not always be accurate. If I receive conflicting information my curiosity will drive me to tease out the truth.
In your post you define one aspect of curiosity as having the “the urge to know more about someone”. When I was a young intern at the General Hospital, somebody was curious to know my age and sent a friend to the Dean’s Office to do a search for my date of birth.
Thanks so much for your observtions Bora. You have neatly summarised the positives and negatives of the curiosity trait.
ReplyDeleteI think it is an evolutionary trait in the animal kingdom linked to the survival instinct, which is the strongest driving force in evolution.
You have highlighted many unarguable benefits such as "driving explorers to discover other territories", "driving force for social interaction and cohesion", the importance of socal cohesion and interation, essential to keep the human mind active, especially for folk like us" I am sure you mean us Seniors!
And you have cited some of the less beneficial things like Curiosity leading to "greed for power and wealth coupled with the advantage of guns which led to domination and conquest, for better or for worse." And "it can also lead to unpleasant gossips and erosion of friendships and aggression".
Just to add emphasis on why Curiosity is innate and essential for survival, it is a survival mechanism that helps organisms find food and other resources, a motivator to learn and acquire knowledge, helps animals to adapt to the environment, just to name a few.
When we look at an infant or child set free to investigate, are we not fascinated by how they examine things around them by looking at them, touching them, listening to them and also sadly, discovering the hard way that somethings are harmful, such as when they attempt to pick up an unexplode device and even try to taste them! Curiosity and innocence are linked.
My final statment for the need for curiosity as medical and healthcare professionals is that without it, you would be poorly equipped to deal with the challenges you face now and in the future. Questions you are ask yourself when faced with a patient:- what is wrong? why? how can I find out ? How can I help? Why is he/she behaving in that manner? What is my interpretation of that expression on her face? How should I best break that bad news? Who else can help? Do I need more training/ understanding? Have I listened carefully? Am I giving the correct signals by my posture, language? Have I really tried to understand different points of view? Am I being too judgmental? Am I hiding my ignorance behind a curtain of confidence? and so much more.
Long Live Curiosity (a "City" we must all explore!). Thanks to all who contributed.
I am curious to know why you are called SPEEDY?
DeleteIndra, you are the first curious one on this! This nickname "Speedy" was coined by UVA De Silva (Ananda), anot so tall chap who was always elegantly dressed in white who thought that I should not be called "Gonsal" as most of my Royal friends called me and that Mahendra was too long and suggested Speedy as the Pat Boone song Speedy Gonzalez was then current and popular. The girls especially liked it and the rest as they say, is history!
DeleteThanks for explaining the origin of SPEEDY in your name.
ReplyDelete