The absence of curiosity is a crucial attribute of a perishing society, with the consequences intertwining far more with our cultural interactions than we likely realize. Our unwillingness to act in a curious manner causes us to learn less, makes us more susceptible to falsehood, and generates a lack of profundity in our relationships. While I may exhaust pages on the topic, I am deeply convinced that I have hindered my reading by not being curious. And I suspect this is true for many readers.
Defining Curiosity
Preparing to share my thoughts about curiosity, I searched for standard definitions and was disappointed with what I found. They were lackluster, portraying curiosity as nothing more than vain interest and nosiness. The word ‘curiosity’ strikes something much more profound. Personally, when I consider what curiosity is, I am filled with concepts and phrases such as the following:
- Inquisitive
- Interest
- Fascinated
- Seeking/Searching
- Desire (to Know)
Curiosity is not passing attention; it is interest that leads to inquiry.
The curious person is provoked from within to know more. Going beyond the basic principles, they long to learn more and search deeper. The interested person seeks to answer the questions of what, how, why, and why it matters.
Defining the Curious Reader
Such characteristics are essential to reading well because the curious reader seeks knowledge. Interested in what one is reading, the reader desires, inquires, and seeks to know more. Such reading leaves no room for passiveness but one who engages both with the content and the content creator. The curious reader will ask questions that take them beyond the words presented on a page.
The curious reader also seeks to connect that knowledge to his life. To do this, one must transform the knowledge into useful information. More than relating the experience to the evident discipline, the individual will connect it to many facets of life, even those that are sometimes not obvious. The very discussion about curiosity serves as a legitimate example. Instead of suggesting that curiosity is necessary to learn (the evident discipline), we consider how curiosity may play an essential role in other Christian life areas. As a result, the curious person will ask, “How will curiosity make me a better Bible reader?” or “How can I utilize curiosity in my evangelism and discipleship?”
Finally, the curious reader seeks joy. Because the reader aims to make the information that fills their lives useful, it brings a unique delight. This is because we are growing by connecting the information we learn to life and putting it into action. This is particularly true when that information connects us to God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Defining the Curious Reader’s Activities
If curiosity positively influences reading, how do we read curiously? Consider three steps:
- Ask: The first aspect is to ask questions, but not arbitrarily. Instead, utilize purposeful questions with the intention of both learning and connecting your reading to your own life. This means exploring what the author said and why they said it. While your curiosity about each book will vary, I suggest generating a standard list of 5-10 questions you can ask about every book. These questions should be specific and ones that will inspire your curiosity.
- Assess: Second, assess the information you are taking in. Evaluate its reliability and consider secondary sources. Consider the impact the information has on what you already know and do.
- Act: Finally, act on the information. The point of assessing is so that what you are learning from your reading will connect with other areas of your life. Think about the type of influence it should have in your life and put it into action.
Asking, assessing, and acting are simple steps that guide us to read more curiously.
Cultivate curiosity in your children. Frequently, we treat questions from children as bothersome, often stifling their curiosity. In my own life, I see this tendency with my children. The lack of curiosity seems to be equated with maturity. However, quite the opposite is true. Curiosity represents an interest in something or someone outside of ourselves; motivated by love, it brings forth humility by recognizing our limitations and the value of others. Therefore, I would suggest that by cultivating curiosity in our children, we are helping them be better readers and more Christlike Christians.
Reading is a skill that we must constantly develop and refine. Curiosity is an element of reading that enhances our ability to learn and grow from it.
