Why your learning ability slowed down
We lose curiosity as we grow.
Introduction
I understand that life is short. You won't be able to learn everything or get to do everything. That doesn't sadden me, but what does sadden me is the great amount of curiosity I have lost as I have grown up.
I have a baby sister, she is over 2 years old now. Seeing her growing up, she is extremely curious about everything, even tiny dots on the floor. It shocked me a bit, how long she can look and try to analyze a small dot on the floor.
I at first found it funny, it was a bit silly seeing it. As time has passed, I have been contemplating more on curiosity. It struck me, babies are much more curious than adults, and it is one of the reasons they are great learners.
They are so curious, even learning boring things becomes exciting, because of all the questions that come to their minds.
It saddened me, to think about how much I could have learned already if I kept such a curiosity. I'm a disciplined individual, and I spend a lot of time every day seeking knowledge, but that was really one thing that shook me.
Where did all that curiosity go?
As someone who wants to learn a lot, primarily in tech, I want to have such a curiosity.
By asking a lot of questions, and keep digging into a topic, we can learn way more than we expect. It requires a constant hunger for knowledge, and not being satisfied with what you already know.
One thing I'm reminded of is the quote by Kyle Simpson:
I always tell people that the only difference between me and them is that I asked more questions and didn’t stop until I found the answers.
I'm reminded of the Beginner's Mind. Kyle doesn't seem to be classifying himself as an expert, but rather someone who just kept asking.
Searching
I'm now searching for principles to live by that allow me to constantly be curious, and never satisfied with the existing knowledge I have. To have a beginner's mind, and live by it.
Things that come to mind:
Listen more
Ask more than I answer
Never be satisfied with your current knowledge
Find a way to regularly question the things you do, and ask yourself why you do them
When you think you are right, instead calm down, and think you may be wrong
your insights resonate deeply, Tiger. The journey from childhood to adulthood often carries the unintended consequence of diminishing our innate curiosity. It's both fascinating and a bit disheartening to observe the boundless curiosity of a child, examining even the tiniest details with unbridled fascination.
I LOVE this topic! And that your baby sister helped inspire you. That's so great!
I've been actively trying to not only ask questions, but phrase them in a curious manner. For example, instead of asking: "Why did we choose to X for this problem?"
I might ask: "Is there a benefit to X over Y to solve for this problem?"
I've found it invites more discussion and it also helps me approach my peers with genuine curiosity rather than sounding possibly accusatory or as if I were questioning their approach.