#curiosity

#curiosity

Torpenhow Hill, a place in England, is famously a quadruple tautology: "Tor," "pen," and "how," all mean "hill" in different languages, so "Torpenhow Hill" essentially translates to "Hill-hill-hill Hill." Each new group of settlers felt compelled to rename the place in their own tongue, and each of them drew inspiration from it looking like a hump. Cultures that passed through the region added their own word for "hill": tor from Old English, pen from the Celtic, how from Norse, and finally hill from modern English.

Attention is the gateway to learning. Before comprehension, before memory, before critical thinking, the brain must first decide to focus. Learning does not begin when instruction begins. Learning begins when the brain voluntarily directs its limited cognitive resources toward the content. The challenge is that attention is not automatic. The brain constantly filters incoming information and selects only a fraction to process actively.

If we want to build a better life, we have to be able to not know. Does that sound confusing? Perhaps you don't know what I'm talking about? Good! That's great practice. If you cannot tolerate not knowing, you run the risk of arranging your life so you can know everything (or at least try to), and you may end up sapping your existence of any spontaneity and joy.

The word syllabus makes me think of "syllabus week," those opening days of a college semester, when there was still time to switch out of an arduous course. I was a picky student, I'll admit; if my would-be professor was lacking in sense of humor, or assigning too many readings, I'd just jump ship for something else. This process, repeated over and over for years, imbued the word syllabus with a degree of pessimism.

We've all felt the pressure to be "on." To be witty, magnetic, full of stories, and somehow the kind of person others orbit around. From job interviews to first dates to Instagram bios, we're taught to polish ourselves into a brand. Be bold. Be memorable. Be interesting. But here's a quiet truth that doesn't get enough airtime: Being interesting is overrated. What really opens doors, deepens bonds, and changes lives isn't being the most fascinating person in the room. It's being the most interested.

They grew up with algorithms and screens mediating their social interactions, dating relationships, and now their learning. And that's why they desperately need to learn how to be human. The most alarming pattern I've researched and observed isn't AI dependency. It's the parroting effect. AI systems are trained on statistical pattern matching, serving up widely represented viewpoints that harbor implicit bias. Without explicit instructions, they default to whatever keeps users engaged - just like social media algorithms that have already polarized our society.

Unrestricted access to screens has resulted in students demonstrating reduced curiosity and perseverance, affecting their ability to engage with imaginative tasks and sustain attention.

“Curiosity can help kids handle change and face their fears when going to new places and meeting new faces.”

The grandfather is controlling and dominating; the grandmother doting and submissive. This is something that finally repulses Ivor, and that Orla also grapples with.

"Curiosity isn't just a personality trait for many designers: it's a strategic tool great design leaders use to cut through uncertainty."

Nora emphasizes the importance of curiosity in identifying gaps or assumptions in product management, advocating for a culture of openness and diverse perspectives. She believes that understanding the audience is crucial, as this aligns closely with product strategy and helps to create meaningful interactions.

Creativity arises from dynamic interaction between different neural networks, particularly the default mode network and the executive control network, promoting spontaneous thought and focused evaluation.

Real interest creates personal meaning that helps kids remember information months or years later.

Both analytic philosophy and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) share a commitment to rigor and discipline. In both fields, practitioners aim for clarity and excellence, whether in argumentation or combat.

This year's selections focused around the power of curiosity, reflecting on a transformation standpoint that resonates with the wealth management goals of our clients.

"I just wanted to know what it was to walk like that. How it felt inside."

"It was both hilarious and kind of exciting to think there might be some hidden mystery here," she said.