Curiosity Kept the Cat Alive and Well
The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner.
Naval Ravikant
If we are not constantly learning we are being left behind.
The world we live in is changing more and more rapidly.
The most obvious way is through technological innovations.
Smartphones were introduced as recently as 2007. Since then, they have become increasingly powerful and are an essential part of our lives.
Only a few centuries ago, it was possible for one person to know the latest contributions to human knowledge in every field.
Today, it is impossible to keep up with all the new discoveries in a single field.
During the lifetime of my great-grandfather, it was not unusual for people never to travel more than a few miles from the home in which they were born.
Now, it is possible to have breakfast in Paris and dinner in Patagonia.
(Of course, we still haven’t figured out how to ensure that your luggage makes the journey in one piece without getting lost.)
Just a couple of generations earlier than my great-grandfather, decisions made in Washington had little impact on the citizens’ daily lives.
In today’s flat world, a decision made in Kathmandu, Karachi, or Kyiv could turn our lives upside down.
If we are not constantly learning we are being left behind.
Learning is essential for mere survival.
But there is an even more compelling reason to be a perpetual learner.
Our brains and bodies are designed to be always learning.
Students in high school algebra still ask, “When am I ever going to use this?”
The answer is that humans don’t learn just because something might be useful.
Learning is its own reward.
It is satisfying and leads to a rich life, not just a big bank account.
We have an inborn curiosity that longs to be indulged.
This curiosity is obvious in young children.
That is why they are constantly asking, “Why?”
But if our curiosity is not fed, it begins to shrivel up.
In many adults, it appears to be mostly dead.
Fortunately, “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”
If we act quickly, we can revive our curiosity before it is all dead.
A good place to start is by asking, “Why?”
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