The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" has always bothered me. Shouldn't we be encouraging curiosity? Over my Thanksgiving break, I was reminded of the exciting curiosities that younger children have every day. I have a 10-year-old brother and he is never afraid to ask a question. This is the amazing thing about children. They are not embarrassed to show weakness when they don't know something, and they have such a pure and genuine curiosity. I have noticed that it seems to become more taboo to ask questions as you get older. We seem to be so concerned with being right and knowing all the answers that we lose this wonderful childlike sense of curiosity we are all born with. Even though you may have learned a lot since you were 10, the universe is still just as, if not more, complex as it was when you were that age.

Children have this beautiful urge to explore and discover. I don’t believe that we lose this trait as we grow up, but I do believe that it becomes a bit less sincere, genuine, and pure. As we grow older, it becomes necessary for our actions and questions to be a bit more contrived. We are striving toward different goals and so certain things are necessary to achieve them. I believe that trying to channel this inner child can be a very beneficial thing.

Doing this will allow you to learn more, have new experiences, and develop new relationships. If you are curious about someone and want to know more about them, ask! There can be times when we are afraid of asking a person something because we are worried what the answer will be. But if you never ask, you will never know. Communication and curiosity are among the most important aspects of relationships of all kind. Holding back your curiosities about a person or a situation with a person can cause damage to that relationship, and so finding your confident curiosity will help to overcome that.

Not only does this curiosity help your relationships, but new experiences that come out of curiosity can be endless. Instead of simply being curious, act on your curiosity. Say yes to things. Avoid labels. If you immediately label something as boring, dumb, or useless, not only will it affect your mood towards the activity, but it can largely affect the moods and opinions of those around you. Being curious and acting on your curiosities can allow you to become more comfortable with risk and stepping outside of your comfortability.

I believe that trying to uncover this curiosity that is inside all of us is a necessity in a happy life. We can’t be afraid to explore our curiosities or find ways to discover the answers. We have to become comfortable with the idea that we may not always like what we find, but that living in a state of worry, interest, and fear, can be even worse. Curiosity did not kill the cat, fear did.