Danger: Proceed with Maximum Curiosity

I recently came across a fantastic piece from the consistently wonderful – and generously free! – Brain Pickings weekly newsletter (BrainPickings.org) about the American educator Abraham Flexner. What got my attention was Flexner’s exploration (way back in 1939, no less) of our “dangerous tendency to forgo pure curiosity in favor of pragmatism.” Now, it must be said that the world needs pragmatic problem-solvers; humans who share practical knowledge in inspiring ways (not easy, of course).  But something I personally experienced a couple of weeks ago showed me just what Flexner was wrestling with seventy plus years ago.

I had the honour of speaking at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) in Hong Kong. Every conference speaking opportunity is great, but this one had an increased volume of personal anticipation because of what I was asked to speak on: Curiosity. The challenge, of course, was how to synthesize such an enormous topic into forty-five, uumm…curious minutes. For weeks leading up to the conference, my morning coffee included crafting the narrative, refining the ideas. A process that turned into one of the most personally enriching experiences I’ve had in quite some time. Why? Well, every morning for the first hour of my day (I’m an early riser), was spent going deeper and deeper into the stories – the experiences – that have motivated me to achieve something in life.  Now the word “achieve” can be kind of a misleading word. We typically tie achievements to the post of success. And when that ‘s-word’ is used, things can get intimidating. Was it a success or a failure? Well, sure, but wait…look what I found lying beneath the surface of this seemingly simple story. And when I pulled it out, the morning coffee was no longer a morning coffee! I was, to use a Flexner phrase, serving myself massive pots (Italian stove top, actually), of pure curiosity.  I moved out of my ‘this is a Harvard event so be practical, Bjorn!’ thinking and into much more of an unconstrained by the excitement of possibilities mode that Kierkegaard himself would be proud of (“Pleasure disappoints, not possibility,” said the Danish genius).

In the end, what I walked into that conference with was something I spent weeks embracing, nurturing, expanding and digging deep into (lots and lots of that). And, I am pleased to report, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Who doesn’t want to be inspired by curiosity, right? My job was easy. The job of an audience is always far more challenging. What if the speaker shows no curiosity?

After my session, numerous questions came from those who found me wandering the conference halls, on LinkedIn and yes, even good-old email.  Curiously, I suppose, the biggest question I independently got from several who reached out was, “How do I choose from the many things I want to accomplish in life?”  I am always happy to be the catalyst for (choosing) curiosity. And, in my replies, that is exactly where I began: What makes you most curious? Always a perfect place to start. (Morning coffee optional.)  The curious mind is the observant mind. Go further, find more. There can be nothing more “pure” than that. As Flexner – and many before him – can attest, the greatest discoveries were not planned. One person taking the time to explore ideas…and suddenly they landed on one thing that worked really well. Without curiosity they would not have started the journey.  Have you ever gone anywhere in life without first being curious about it – even just a little? (Okay, I was curious and practical last week when I went to the dentist.)

Proceed with the purity of maximum curiosity.  You will be happy (and successful) if you did.

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