Without curiosity humanity may have died out in a cave long ago. When threatened with Ice Ages, harsh climates, and ancient animals the need to adapt, and the desire to understand what lay beyond the familiar, pushed early humans across continents in search of greener pastures. The same driving force is seen again and again throughout history. Christopher Colombus’s trek to the Americas, for instance, was not born out of necessity but out of curiosity. He sought a better route to Asia from Eastern Europe and instead stumbled upon a whole new continent with its own cultures and civilizations. Curiosity has always had a way of unconsciously guiding people sometimes rewriting history in the process.
In our day-to-day lives, we may not require great migrations or perilous expeditions to satisfy our curiosity, but the smaller acts, although often overlooked, are just as meaningful. We raise our hands in lessons to ask questions because we want to understand more. We join extracurricular clubs, societies, and sports teams not only for enjoyment or skill-building but because something about them sparks a desire to explore. Learning new hobbies, asking someone about their life and even the dreaded scrolling on social media can all be explained by the human curiosity. They might not always have positive results but often these tiny acts of exploration, originating from our past, can help us shape and navigate our present.
The infamous Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”. That quote boils down to taking opportunities simply to see where they lead and embracing the possibility that something unexpected might inspire us. Curiosity encourages us to try, to experiment, and to accept that growth often comes from stepping into the unknown without a guaranteed outcome.
We should all aspire to be as curious as possible because it is one of the most powerful tools we have. It pushes us to our limits, helps us learn more about ourselves and deepens our understanding of the world. Despite what you may have heard about it killing cats, it has only ever kept humanity moving forward.
Joe Pontin
Senior Prefect