Curiosity and questions

Man-of-the-century Albert Einstein is considered a genius. Guess what he had to say about his secret to success? Einstein said, “I have no particular talent; I am merely extremely inquisitive.”

Are you inquisitive? Are you curious? Are you fond of asking questions? What kind of questions do you ask?

Do you listen more, or you speak more?

Most people don’t want to ask questions. They pretend they know all the answers. Many think that asking questions make them look foolish, but on the contrary, according to Charles P. Steinmetz, “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.”

Nothing stirs the intellect like curiosity. The constant search for answers and explanations, and persistent longing for reason are marks of successful people I’ve met.

Curiosity is a great virtue. The great playwright George Bernard Shaw said, “Some people look at things and ask, “Why?”; I look at things and ask, “Why Not?”

There’s this great portion in the movie Lion King where Mufasa confronted his son, Simba. Mufasa said, “Simba, you are more than what you have become.” I love that line. It’s like saying, “Simba, my boy… You are a loser! You have not tapped into your potential.”

How about us – have we tapped into our potential? Are we curious enough to learn?

In the early days of a child’s learning, curiosity is encouraged. As kids go move up to higher levels of learning, they’re told to keep quiet when not spoken to. To simply follow the line. To march straight to the classroom without talking. To put their answer inside the box. Not to color outside the box. Not to do anything outside the box.

And then as adults, they’re asked to think outside the box!

Most of formal education steer people towards answers, not questions. How many times have you heard a professor say “Do not ask questions until the lecture is over.”? We seem be predisposed to valuing information more than inquiry.

What about the corporate world?

Most corporations don’t try to stimulate creativity; most are predisposed to impose conformity. They have measures and standards, and anyone who violates or challenges these are perceived to be arrogant and rebellious. Jerry Hirshberg, in his book The Creative Priority, said, “No one in the corporation deliberately sets out to stifle creative thought. Yet, the traditional bureaucratic structure, with its need for predictability, linear logic, conformance to accepted norms, and the dictates of the most recent “long-range” vision statement, is a nearly perfect idea-killing machine. People in groups regress towards the security of the familiar and the well regulated. Even creative people do it. It’s easier. It avoids the ambiguity and the fear of unpredictability, the threat of the unfamiliar, and the messiness of intuition and human emotion.”

Losers constantly ask, “Why me?” This is not a question in search for answers; this is the preparatory statement for blame and finger-pointing. They feel that responsibility makes them victims, and they want to shield themselves from it. Winners always ask, “Why Not?” This is a statement that seeks to explore, to discover, to try out new opportunities. 

God has given us intelligence, but it’s up to us to use it or to waste it.

Are you curious? Are you hungry for learning? Are you asking questions? Are you seeking for answers?

Time is class in session, but are you in attendance?

And in case you haven’t noticed, I just kept on asking questions.

(Tickets are going out fast Francis Kong’s Big Event this year happening on March 1, at the SMX Convention Center: “Inspiring Excellence”. Learn best practices on business, finance and good citizenship, from Butch Jimenez, Chinkee Tan and Alex Lacson. For registration and tickets, call Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6310912 or 09228980195. You can also send an email to [email protected].)