THURSDAY/FRIDAY - DECEMBER 5/6 - 2024 - ARE YOU CURIOUS?

 THURSDAY/FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5/6, 2024 -ARE YOU CURIOUS?

A lifetime ago (it just feels like that—on a cold, pouring day last March 2024), I was listening to a TEDx talk titled “Are You Curious?”

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Let’s go to an old proverb.

The proverb “curiosity killed the cat” warns against being too curious or nosy, especially when it could lead to trouble or harm. It's used to discourage people from asking questions or investigating things that don't concern them. For example, if someone asks, "Hey, I wonder what's down that street; it looks awfully dark and creepy," you might respond, "Let's not try to find out. Curiosity killed the cat.” 

A version of the proverb also says, “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” This version implies that while curiosity can cause harm, the knowledge or truth gained from it can be worthwhile.

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I am curious.  

There is a story about my maternal grandfather. Seemingly, some wasps built a large nest by the back door of their house. He wanted to see how they built it, so he cut it open (and ran for his life!!!). My grandfather liked gardening but seemed to enjoy the unusual plants—husk tomatoes (like cherry tomatoes but in a paper shell).  

To this day, we have search engines and Wikipedia.  I searched for wasp nests and got this

“Wasps build their nests by chewing wood fibers from sources like trees or fences, mixing them with their saliva to create a paper-like pulp, and then carefully shaping this pulp into a honeycomb-like structure to form the cells of their nest; essentially, they "make paper" from wood and their saliva to construct their homes.”

My grandfather was born before Google!  What was the score in last year’s Iowa versus Nebraska football game?  (Iowa 13, Nebraska 10). How is a male cardinal bird different than a female cardinal bird? Who was the President of the United States in 1882?  What was the actual date and time that the first moon landing occurred? 

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Okay - I could ask a million questions (and do ask).  

When I was “smacked by a two-by-four,” and my mind changed, I spent hours researching (and being curious).  Why would a happy, satisfied man want to be a woman?  Could this be from God?  Am I a sinner by researching this?  

A DIKW model (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) exists.  There is some data - is the data good?  Has the data been verified?  Are there enough data points to conclude? Is the data good enough to become information?  Does that make knowledge - and ultimately wisdom?

Curiosity.  I learn something every day.  Much of it comes from the internet.  (But, of course, Abraham Lincoln said, “Not everything on the Internet is true”) .  Is the data valid - or are there extenuating factors?  There were fewer gun deaths in Chicago on February 15, 1997 (I made up the date).  Hmmm - why?  Was there a truce between neighbor gangs?  Or was it because of the massive blizzard that hit Chicago that day, dumping from 12 to 23 inches of snow across the city?  

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Remember three-year-olds asking questions?  “Why is the sky blue, Dad?” “How do caterpillars become butterflies, Dad?” and more.  

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Curiosity exists (or should exist) in almost everything.  Why did Kamela Harris lose the 2024 Presidential Election?  Why did Bruce Jenner become a woman?  What is the difference between Communism, Fascism, and Democracy?  What are the fundamental beliefs of <xyz> religion? Will Fentanyl really kill me? (I'm not even searching on that topic).

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I’ve mentioned before that the data sources have to be good.  I’m not going to the Toyota dealer asking why I should be a Chevy and what features exist on the Chevy.  

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It seems like there is a “need” in me to learn and know!!!  I like to learn, and I seek to learn something new every day!!!

LIFE IS GOOD

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, December 6, 2024