Are you a curious person?

[Missy]

Is curiosity a virtue? Is curiosity good or bad in your view? Does it foster relationships or hinder them? Did it kill that proverbial cat?
Does it make one a busy body or one an engaged social creature wanting to learn about the world and others?




Am I too curious in this thread?

 

[Missy]

My DH likes to say to me "I'm not google" because I ask him lots of questions. I am a curious person by nature. I like learning more about people I am getting to know. It strengthens our relationship. I also enjoy intellectual pursuit and searching for the truth. I am always open to the fact that there is no one right or wrong, black or white but rather shades of gray. Many shades of gray. I ask lots of questions. Hence my DH asking "what, am I google"

What do you think? Is curiosity bad? Or is it good? I look at it as potentially strengthening connection between people. A social virtue that allows one to get to know another. Creating sharing and intimacy. That allows us to get to learn about things as we grow with each experience.

I think curiosity makes (me) a more open individual. I am open to others viewpoints and always wanting to see all sides of any issue. I have always been like that. Yes I am stubborn but I am not so stubborn that I think my view point is the only viewpoint or even the best viewpoint. I know there is so much gray in this world that I would be foolish to think I know it all. I know some people who are know it alls and they are difficult at times to be around.

I find curiosity makes life more interesting. But there is a fine line between being too curious and not curious enough and I try not to cross that line. I am not nosy and other's personal lives are not my business. But I am curious about life and things in general.

What about you? Do you consider yourself a curious individual? And if so how do you not cross that line? And if not curious why do you think that is?

 

[dk168]

I am inquisitive, always have been, and am one of those kids who would ask why this, why that, and drove my parents and teachers nuts!

I find I can appreciate an instruction more if I know the reasons why it is the way it is, rather than to be told just to follow it.

DK

 

[Missy]

I am inquisitive, always have been, and am one of those kids who would ask why this, why that, and drove my parents and teachers nuts!

I find I can appreciate an instruction more if I know the reasons why it is the way it is, rather than to be told just to follow it.

DK

Haha same. I had professors (in college and graduate school) say to me I made them think. I asked challenging questions. I take that as high praise.

 

[stracci2000]

I think people get mad at me because I ask too many questions.
Specifically my DH and my boss at work.
DH will call his mom, and after the call, I say "Did you ask her X,Y, and Z?
and he will say "I never ask the right questions, do I?"

And my boss thinks I will one day have his job because I always ask him questions that he can't answer. I kinda like putting him on the spot. He's my boss, he's supposed to know more than me, right??? Hmmmm

I can't stand sites like Pinterest, because there is no information attached to the photos.
If I see a photo that doesn't say what it is or where the photo was taken, I get annoyed. I must know specific details.

When a friend got her inherited diamond reset, I specifically told her to make sure the jeweler weighs the stone before setting so she would know how big it is.
She later told me..."The jeweler said it is 'about' one and a quarter carat." About???
What is this 'About'? I want specifics!!! Is that too hard??? Gahhhhhh

 

[kenny]

I'm curious why you ask.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

I do consider myself an inquisitive and curious person.

Firstly, I was told so as a child growing up by the grown ups. I asked lots of questions. According to them, too many.

I am curious about subjects that interest me. I want to know and learn more. The discovery process is interesting and fun. Often times, it's not necessarily about the answer but the process of discovery,

 

[jaysonsmom]

Yes, cannot sit through a “based on real life” movie without googling facts the whole time.

 

[MamaBee]

Yes.. I’m very curious..but not a busy body nosing into other people’s business. I can’t tell you how many times a day I look something up to get more information. I’m always problem solving and trying to figure things out. Instead of calling for help I’ll look things up on YouTube and do it myself. I can keep myself entertained because I’m curious about everything and will try to learn about it.

 

[MarionC]

Yes, cannot sit through a “based on real life” movie without googling facts the whole time.

Or even a Netflix series, to know the real people behind the characters.

 

[MamaBee]

Or even a Netflix series, to know the real people behind the characters.

My husband and I are watching a real life show about a person who was tried for murder...was found guilty and then later found out was innocent. He was later accused of another murder. My husband and I are on the edge of our seats. You have no idea how hard it is for me to not google everyone to find out what happened to him. It makes me crazy!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Ooh @MamaBee that sounds good!!! Can you share the name of the show please?

***

No I'm not a particularly curious person. Obviously I'm curious about things that interest me (I think everyone is to some extent) and will look up information that I need but for the most part I'm happy to potter along.

I have a lot of things I need to get done and when I have spare time I spend it pursuing things I like. This leaves very little time to look into or ponder other unrelated things.

My son is a very curious little thing (completely opposite to me as a child) and we have great fun looking things up together but I do it and enjoy it because he's my "hobby".

ETA: I tend to get very obsessed about whatever it is that's taken over my life at a certain point in time. That kills my curiosity for other things imo.

 

[Musia]

I am not nosy and other's personal lives are not my business. But I am curious about life and things in general.

This is describing my level of curiosity pretty accurate. I never had an American friend in my life. So I learned from books and TV, later from social media but they can't provide all the information I needed. This Forum lets me learn many things I want to know about other people here in the USA. For many reasons I believe in your honesty and appreciate your generosity very much. Also I am very happy I can learn something interesting from people living in other countries.

I love to google everything too as well as watch videos on YouTube! But I don't like to perform scientific experiments out of curiosity if I am not 150% sure they are safe I am reading two autobiographic books these days, one of them is by USSR/Russian figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva who had many American friends in her life and immigrated to the USA 5-6 years before she wrote her book.


I am attaching photo of something written by Katia Gordeeva that made me smile several days ago. Definitely not the way my daughter or DIL were choosing their husbands But I agree, husbands should always be good looking and handsome. Who needs an ugly husband???

 

[MamaBee]

Ooh @MamaBee that sounds good!!! Can you share the name of the show please?

***

No I'm not a particularly curious person. Obviously I'm curious about things that interest me (I think everyone is to some extent) and will look up information that I need but for the most part I'm happy to potter along.

I have a lot of things I need to get done and when I have spare time I spend it pursuing things I like. This leaves very little time to look into or ponder other unrelated things.

My son is a very curious little thing (completely opposite to me as a child) and we have great fun looking things up together but I do it and enjoy it because he's my "hobby".

ETA: I tend to get very obsessed about whatever it is that's taken over my life at a certain point in time. That kills my curiosity for other things imo.

Okay @mellowyellowgirl but if anyone has seen it please don’t talk about it. It’s on
Netflix. I don’t know the exact name but it’s easy to find. I don’t want to google it. It’s Making a Murderer. It may be slow moving for you unlike the crime shows you see on
Tv. It’s real so lots of boring stuff in there too...You get to care for the people in it..and that’s how you get hooked..

 

[rainydaze]

For the most part, yes. Though one of my kids is giving me a run for my money with asking me constant questions about everything, including why someone said or did something. I'm not in their brain girl!!

I once checked in with a former employer regarding how my replacement was working out. Her comment was that the new woman was good, but she didn't take the reins and dig into things when she (my former boss) would inquire about something. She (my former boss) said she loved that she could make a comment about something and the next thing she knew, I was researching and finding an answer/solution. That was an eye opener, as I didn't realize not everyone does that.

I think that, in the past, wanting to fully understand things set me up for a lot of confusion when it came to doctors. I have had to learn to start off by saying that I would like to try to understand what is causing the problem, not just get surface relief.

And OMG YES to researching people, plots, actors, writers, case studies... anything... when watching shows. I can never get enough info!

 

[Missy]

I'm curious why you ask.

Because my thirst for info is strong. Please tell me everything.

 

[1ofakind]

I am a curious person in general. While I like to know what happens in peoples lives I am not a busy body, I do not gossip and I am excellent at compartmentalizing. Even if I know something that isn't my business I do not let it affect anything else and it goes in a vault. People I know have NEVER heard me gossip so they trust me. I mostly listen and not pry though they are sometimes glad to have someone to share with whom they can trust and tell me more than they might a gossipy person.
I am curious about other things too. The search bar history on my computer will verify that. Someone is dating my niece...I'm going to look them up. I hear something on the news that seems too one sided, I try to find the other side. I heard some tidbit on the radio today and came home to look it up....I sometimes make a note on my phone so I won't forget.

But my curiosity does have limits. I can wait until Christmas and not poke at gifts under the tree. If DH wants to give me hints I get annoyed. I do not want to know early!! He is such a sweetie and loves to give gifts. He used to give me things as soon as he bought them, not being able to stand the wait. So I would get a birthday gift 2 weeks before my birthday and then he'd realize I actually wanted something ON my birthday so he'd get something else, lol.

 

[Missy]

I think people get mad at me because I ask too many questions.
Specifically my DH and my boss at work.
DH will call his mom, and after the call, I say "Did you ask her X,Y, and Z?
and he will say "I never ask the right questions, do I?"

And my boss thinks I will one day have his job because I always ask him questions that he can't answer. I kinda like putting him on the spot. He's my boss, he's supposed to know more than me, right??? Hmmmm

I can't stand sites like Pinterest, because there is no information attached to the photos.
If I see a photo that doesn't say what it is or where the photo was taken, I get annoyed. I must know specific details.

When a friend got her inherited diamond reset, I specifically told her to make sure the jeweler weighs the stone before setting so she would know how big it is.
She later told me..."The jeweler said it is 'about' one and a quarter carat." About???
What is this 'About'? I want specifics!!! Is that too hard??? Gahhhhhh

I hear you. Sometimes my DH gets annoyed because I ask too many questions. And I am pretty sure some of my teachers in grade school and high school didn't love my questioning so much either. Oh well. I agree with you much of the frustration is because they don't know the answers to the questions we ask. I am not trying to trip anyone up as I am genuinely curious about the answer.

And yes, exactly. I want specific numbers. Not "about"

 

[Missy]

This is describing my level of curiosity pretty accurate. I never had an American friend in my life. So I learned from books and TV, later from social media but they can't provide all the information I needed. This Forum lets me learn many things I want to know about other people here in the USA. For many reasons I believe in your honesty and appreciate your generosity very much. Also I am very happy I can learn something interesting from people living in other countries.

I love to google everything too as well as watch videos on YouTube! But I don't like to perform scientific experiments out of curiosity if I am not 150% sure they are safe I am reading two autobiographic books these days, one of them is by USSR/Russian figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva who had many American friends in her life and immigrated to the USA 5-6 years before she wrote her book.


I am attaching photo of something written by Katia Gordeeva that made me smile several days ago. Definitely not the way my daughter or DIL were choosing their husbands But I agree, husbands should always be good looking and handsome. Who needs an ugly husband???

I don't remember who said this but someone said it's just as easy to marry a rich husband as a poor one and/or a handsome husband as an ugly one.

 

[Missy]

Yes.. I’m very curious..but not a busy body nosing into other people’s business. I can’t tell you how many times a day I look something up to get more information. I’m always problem solving and trying to figure things out. Instead of calling for help I’ll look things up on YouTube and do it myself. I can keep myself entertained because I’m curious about everything and will try to learn about it.

I agree. I am never bored because I am good at entertaining myself. And always learning. I love it.

 

[Missy]

I do consider myself an inquisitive and curious person.

Firstly, I was told so as a child growing up by the grown ups. I asked lots of questions. According to them, too many.

I am curious about subjects that interest me. I want to know and learn more. The discovery process is interesting and fun. Often times, it's not necessarily about the answer but the process of discovery,

I agree it is often more about the pursuit than the actual answers. But I find it satisfying getting the answers to something I have been thinking about for a while. But the pursuit is often as enjoyable if not more.

 

[Austina]

Yes, cannot sit through a “based on real life” movie without googling facts the whole time.

This is so me

 

[MamaBee]

This is so me

Me too @Austina! It’s been torture not googling the show we’re presently watching! It would be like reading the end of a book you‘re reading in the middle...It’s torture!

 

[lyra]

I'm very curious about every little thing. Google is my best friend. I google the craziest stuff. My mind is constantly racing. My youngest daughter once burst into tears because I asked her too many questions in a row without apparently giving her enough time to answer. It's just the way my mind works.

 

[Maria D]

I am ridiculously curious, and also privately nosy. By privately I mean I will spend (waste?) much time delving into someone's personal details, but I will not spread any information I find and would never dox anyone. Many times it's just a procrastination game. In a forum someone might leave a crumb - I will chase it down to try to figure out who that person is IRL. I've been successful a couple of times here, much more so with some reddit forums. I think I would make a great detective.

I am curious on just about any topic. When I was a kid I used to read encyclopedia volumes for fun. I just wish I could remember half of what I've looked up!

Everyone always leaves off the second line of the proverb:
"Curiosity killed the cat...
SATISFACTION brought it back!"

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I am curious but not noisy
That's why im on the internet
And im curouse about America and also the other places you all live

I had a corporal in the army who thought i was too curouse for my own good but superiors further up the ranks always encouraged my questions and answered nicely

 

[1ofakind]

When I was a kid I used to read encyclopedia volumes for fun. I just wish I could remember half of what I've looked up!

Oh me too!! Not only for fun though...we were poor and neglected so the encyclopedias were sometimes the only thing I had to read/do. I also read Dr. Spock’s parenting book which my parents somehow owned but either never read or learned from. I was somewhat confused because I thought it was written by the guy from Star Trek.

 

[marcy]

Why?

 

[Missy]

Why?

Because.

 

[Missy]

I'm very curious about every little thing. Google is my best friend. I google the craziest stuff. My mind is constantly racing. My youngest daughter once burst into tears because I asked her too many questions in a row without apparently giving her enough time to answer. It's just the way my mind works.

This is me too @lyra
And how my mind/brain works. It's constantly going. I cannot help it and honestly I am good with it and the way it works. My dermatologist who knows me since we were kids said to me a few decades ago why would I want to change who I am? This is who I am. And luckily our guys love as as we are. There is a song I just love that sums it up. Let me find it. I will be right back.

"The Way I Am"

If you were falling, then I would catch you.
If you need a light, I'd find a match.

'Cause I love the way you say "good morning".
And you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
If your head is aching, I'll make it better.

'Cause I love the way you call me "baby".
And you take me the way I am.

And I'll buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair.
And sew on patches to all you tear.

'Cause I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.