Curiosity is an important aspect of learning. One piece of advice I hear too often is to question everything. But is the advice to always question things really all we need?
To me, it feels like a common saying, similar to “don’t compare yourself with others,” which might sound easy, but it’s not that simple to put into practice.
Without even realizing it, several environmental factors kill our curiosity.
When I was a kid, my mother got anxious whenever she took me out, be it to the mall or a relative’s house, because my hands were never still. I can’t resist touching things, and unfortunately, sometimes, these objects are delicate and fragile.
I’m just curious about the things I touch because they’re usually new to me. But I get why my mother worries that I might accidentally damage them.
As I reflect on my childhood, I realize that there were many phrases and restrictions I grew up with, such as “don’t play away,” “don’t answer back,” and “don’t ask why if I told you to do something.” These rules seemed to be a tradition among Asian parents of the boomer generation.