Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last. – Samuel Johnson

Study hard what interests you in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. – Richard Feynmann

When I am in control of my time, I am never bored. Never. There is always something new to learn, books to read, ideas to consider, art to make, new interests and aptitudes to discover. And even when I am not in control of my time (e.g., some social and work-related activities), my mind is always humming with activity about topics that interest me. It’s as if there is a computer that’s constantly running in the background processing information, recording observations, and generating lots of new questions. My mind is and always has been insatiably curious.

I consider curiosity my lifeblood. I think it may be the greatest gift I have. And as I get older, I am learning to value it more, not only as a driver for learning, but also as the source of my “zest” for living.

Here are some reasons I think curiosity is so important.

Curiosity keeps me young.

Even though my hair, which is graying by the minute, might tell another story…

I view curiosity as a perpetual source of awe and wonder. To the curious mind, everyday sights and sounds are anything but ordinary. They are doors to a deeper mystery, sources of contemplation, and subjects of in-depth learning.

Indeed, something magical happens when we learn: we replace old, outdated forms of the mind with new ones. And those new, expanded forms allow us to perceive differently. Everyday objects are seen in a new context. Something as simple as a flower or a bird—once we learn about it—becomes a source of wonder and renewed appreciation. 

It is my opinion that habitual, lifelong learning, which continually replaces old, stale forms with new ones, is how we stay young at heart. It enables us to see the world with fresh eyes and fills us with a sense of awe and childlike wonder for the entirety of our lives.

I also think the more we learn, the more we allow our curiosity to lead us in all sorts of different directions, the more we get a sense of the complexity of the universe and of the incredible intelligence which seems to organize it all. Just glimpsing that complexity is a reason for astonishment and for a belief in the miraculous.

Curiosity keeps me vital.

My curiosity is what keeps me interested in life. An example: six summers ago, an Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly laid a dozen or so eggs on the dill plants in my garden. I watched as the eggs became caterpillars, the caterpillars transformed into chrysalises, and the chrysalises into butterflies. I was so fascinated, I dove into learning about butterflies. About a year later, I got curious about birds and decided to start learning about them. I also hung a bird feeder in my backyard.

Fast forward to today, and my backyard could mostly appropriately be described as a habitat, not just for birds and butterflies, but for all the wildlife that visits. Why? Because what began as curiosity about butterflies became curiosity about birds, squirrels, deer, foxes, snakes, frogs, bees, etc. 

I observe the birds at my feeders and wonder what they are doing and why. That curiosity has led me to take online courses in bird behavior and related topics. (I also have an introductory ornithology textbook that I like to read sometimes.) 

My curiosity about birds has led to an interest in wildlife photography, as well, which I had never previously considered. 

The point: it’s curiosity that leads me to continually deepen my interests and pursue new ones. Curiosity is the reason I always have projects of interest (sometimes, too many) and am never bored. In addition to birds and bird photography, I have deep interests in fields like literature, psychology, history, and art. Interests like these keep me active and engaged—and with no shortage of things to learn—while giving me a sense of purpose. They are part of what makes being alive inherently worthwhile. 

Curiosity makes me more resilient.

I think one of the biggest reasons many people abandon projects when they become difficult is the absence of an external reward. Trying to come up with a novel solution to a problem, completing a creative project, or developing a new skill can take a tremendous amount of time and effort. And one can face plenty of failure and adversity—indeed, these are integral parts of the process. If those periods of failure are prolonged and an external reward, like money or recognition, is slow in coming, many people quit. 

When I am driven, first and foremost, by the insatiable desire to know, I generally do not quit. I get back up after failure, and I persist until I find the solution I am looking for. Whether that knowing comes in the form of a solution to a problem, the culmination of a creative project, or the actualization of a talent or skill, the primary driver is knowing. This is the power of being curious and passionate at the same time: it makes us unstoppable.