On looking up and the curious mindset
“Curiosity (from the Latin cūriōsitās, from cūriōsus “careful, diligent, curious”, akin to cura “care”) is a quality related to inquisitive thinking, such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident in humans and other animals”
A journal has to start with a first step, and it seemed right to start with what I mean by a curious mind. It turned out that in writing about this that just what I think it means has a whole lot more to it, and how to cultivate real curiosity has a lot of layers to explore. Which is the whole point of exploring curiosity, ourselves and the world around us really.
To get to it then. I came across the term Flaneur a while back. The word and its meaning resonated with me, in particular the emphasis on slowing a little, taking things in and observing. The leisurely wanderer strolling part is appealing also I confess!
Curiosity I think starts with the mindset of a Flaneur, of cultivating an open and observant approach. Of looking up and out and of paying attention. The capacity to slow a little, change the focus up and really look around, with open mind and real interest pretty much sum up some essential qualities for a curious mind. The conception of what a Flaneur is, got me to thinking about how everything can be/should be interesting looked at a certain way. And that there is a lot of enjoyment to be had from finding interest everywhere, through having a curious mindset. Stories are all around once we start to look for them.
Being curious and attentive also means being very present in the here and now. Which is a really good way to be on a whole lot of levels. ‘Be here now’, as Ram Dass wrote and George Harrison sang. Presence is a powerful practice for us all to work on and philosophers, yogis and mystics have expounded on it for millennia. More on that another day!
What is also really interesting to consider as we try to cultivate curiosity, is how much what we see and how we interpret it is shaped by our preconceptions, judgements, habits and personal experience. So, the next step in cultivating the mindset of curiosity, of openness, includes a whole lot of work on self-awareness to get past the filters of conscious and unconscious bias we all have. And from that self-awareness comes the chance get beyond the filters to see a whole lot more.
This practice seems to me to be a great way to cultivate empathy and better understanding of others as well. By which I mean, wondering about the how, why and what someone else interprets in the same thing we see, hear or read in their own way. After all, many of the truths we cling to depend on our point of view. Getting to that elevated point is easier said than done of course mostly aspirational for me at least. All tips to get there are welcome.
That’s my starting point then for the curious mind, for now anyhow. Everything is pretty fascinating in some way, everything is a chance to expand knowledge and understanding, and the curious mindset needed for this is a practice and chance to develop ourselves as we go. Or I hope so anyway.
So, let’s be about it and start exploring.