The Importance of Curiosity

 

 “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
― Albert Einstein

Curiosity just might be the most powerful force in the universe. It's the motivation that's never exhausted. Curiosity is the engine of learning. Curiosity is the driver of innovation and positive change. Great things, amazing things, are routinely accomplished through curiosity. Spark a person's curiosity and you give them the ammunition to conquer the world.

Or something like that.

The science of motivation tells us curiosity is one of the most powerful intrinsic motivators there is. Humans inherently love learning. Our brains are the most complex structure in the known universe for a reason. Curiosity and that love of learning is what drives me to develop this project, and it's no coincidence it's a foundation of our Tribe and our School.

I've long been interested in curiosity. As a public school teacher, I've long understood the sheer value of sparking curiosity in my students. It makes the entire school experience for students infinitely better if they want to be there because they're curious. Grades improve, retention and the ability to apply ideas and concepts gets way better, behavior problems disappear, students become empowered and have the ability to solve real problems, etc.

Unfortunately, it's exceptionally difficult to spark curiosity in a public school setting, at least among every kid. Class sizes are simply too big, we waste too much time preparing for and taking standardized tests, and we have too many required classes and strict curricula. We certainly try; every administrator, teacher, and support staff knows the inherent value of fostering curiosity. The systems, just too big, too impersonal, and too structured. Curiosity requires freedom and maneuverability. Curiosity requires flexibility and the removal of barriers. Our schools can't provide this because we expend all our resources trying to meet totally unrealistic expectations. 

Our School will utilize curiosity as a basic foundation of everything we do, from deciding which classes to offer to deciding who will teach them to exactly what students will learn. In future posts, I'll expand on this idea. But curiosity is also hard-wired into everything we do. Including our Tribe.

“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.”
― Roy T. Bennett

Our Tribe (and our gym) is filled with genuinely curious people, which includes curiosity about each other. If you eavesdrop on any conversation at our gym, they're never like "so how's the weather" conversations. They're conversations about who were are, what we do, what motivates us to train, or other deeply-inquisitive questioning. It's clearly obvious we have a gym filled with people who listen to understand. 

It's no surprise our gym is filled with people who experience grand adventures; their curiosity towards each other applies to a curiosity about life. And that curiosity about life is what pushes us to experience new, exciting things. It's what allows us to overcome fear and experience real adventure.

It's rare in today's world, and it's one of the things I think makes us a little different. It's why I think we can make a real dent in the universe.

~Jason

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