Blog No. 18 by novelist Jeremy Logan --CURIOSITY
jeremyLoganBooks.com
Last week I blogged about competitiveness. More important, however, is curiosity. The very best of what humankind has to offer has a high level of curiosity. It's what drives our capability and skill. It is also a trait that makes us more likeable and compassionate.
Here are some simple truths: The more curious we are the more we want to learn. The more we learn the better we are. The more we are curious, the more we want to challenge ourselves and discover what we can achieve. For the curious, failure is not a defeat, it's a lesson worth learning.
Curiosity is what got me started on my first novel. I needed to find out if I could do it. Now that I have had good reviews, I need to know if it was a fluke, or is it something I can learn to do better.
This next part is opinion. To me, curiosity is that twinkle in the eye. It fills you with wonder. It's what makes you a good listener. It's what gives you reservation of what you think you know. In other words, it keeps you open-minded. And this is the part that makes you likeable and compassionate. Curious people are rarely judgmental. They are not prone to prejudge or react stubbornly. Why? It's because curious people are rarely that sure of themselves. They embrace a differing point of view to challenge what they think they know.
It's all about discovery. We all don't have to be the one that discovers the cure for cancer. It's the little discoveries that fuel our enthusiasm for life. For me, writing satisfies a good part of my curiosity. It forces me learn more about my subject matter, its setting, the circumstances of the times. And I discover more about myself, my weaknesses and strengths.
