Marissa Scimone
Holly Pappas
English 101
30 March 2015
It comes as no surprise that no two people are the same, not even identical twins. How can two people who share the same DNA be so different? Curiosity. Who we are and the things that capture our attention and interests are a direct reflection of curiosity. It is essentially where your personality stems from, how you present yourself, and how you go about your everyday life. It is not only what sets us apart from so many people, but it is also what brings us closer to others as well. The question that I will propose in this essay is simply, how? How does curiosity set one person apart from another and bring us closer to one another all at once? Also, how does curiosity affect us as individuals?
How does curiosity set us apart from others, yet bring us closer to one another all at once? Take a moment to analyze yourself, your life, and the people you surround yourself with. Now, focus on those you surround yourself with, particularly your best friend. You and your best friend share a variety of similar tastes, such as genres of music, your love for your local coffee shop, sharing an interest in tattoos and piercings, and so on and so forth. Ask yourselves, what is your ideal date? What qualities do you look for the most in a potential partner? What are your long and short term goals for your future? In a perfect world, what would your lives be like? After discussing your answers, you will discover that no matter how similar you both are, you are both also so incredibly different from one another. You two share very similar interests, but there will always be topics and things that interests one of you that does not particularly appeal to the other, and that’s okay. It is okay to share interests with one another, and it is also okay to venture off on your own and learn more about what interests and fascinates you. It is essentially what makes us who we are.
Now, just for a moment, take a step back and analyze your friendship with your best friend from the time you first met to this very second. You’ve bonded over your similar interests and tastes and you two couldn’t seem more alike. Now, think back to everything that you have taught one another, and the new experiences that you both have brought to the table. You two have extensive knowledge on countless different topics and subjects, and you two have experienced so much on your own, but together it is as if you two have a world of your own. You two push one another to achieve their dreams, overcome fears, and in time,become the person that the five year old you would be proud of. Your curiosity about the world has created not only a great friendship, but a bond. “In life I believe family and friends is the most important thing. Without family and friends you don’t have people who genuinely care about you or who would be there for you no matter what.” (Jayson). The people around you are a critical aspect of your life. They help you grow as a person, and they teach you how to love others, just as they love you. Although some relationships themselves do not stay forever, their memory has made an imprint on your life and that will last a lifetime.
Without our knowledge, curiosity has implanted itself into our everyday routines, occasional hobbies, inspires new conquests and is the core of our interests. For instance, discussing everyday routines, curiosity leads to your local coffee shop. It peaked your interest, so naturally, you decided to check it out. You found yourself scanning the menu until you came across something that you found to be interesting and to your surprise, you loved it. Before you knew it, you found yourself carving out time every morning to make a quick coffee stop before class or work. Next thing you know, you are on a first name basis with your barista and say, “good morning,” or hello to other frequent customers because they have now become an acquaintance to you. You’ve talked with another regular customer in line while waiting for your coffee, when you both realize that you have both been dying to get into yoga, and you both decide to give it a shot together and exchange numbers. After everything is said and done, you have made a new friend, and it would not have been possible without curiosity implanting itself in your everyday life. When you really think about it, curiosity plays a key role how we interact with others and with whom we build relationships with.
It is wonderful to share interests with someone else, hell, it is encouraged, but never lose sight of your own personal desires and fascinations. Wherever you go, always hold who you really are close. After all, it is what sets you apart from everyone else and that is all you can hope to be, an individual. Your curiosity has allowed you to express yourself however you wish and it has carved itself into the little details of your being. The range of curiosity is seemingly endless. It ranges from something so simple, such as how we express ourselves, to what we plan on doing with our lives. Take a moment to think about your bedroom. We design our bedrooms as if it was a physical representation as to what is going on inside of our minds. Upon walking into some people’s room, you can find their walls to be covered in posters of their favorite musical artists, paintings, and pictures. They have candles and books overflowing their bookshelves and what seems to be an infinite assortment of pillows on their bed. Most people design their bedrooms to be a temporary escape from the world around them, so naturally it is a reflection of themselves. It is one of the many ways that we express ourselves and to most, we take an exceptional amount of pride in our little masterpiece that we call our bedroom. However, some people do not choose to put their art on their walls, but instead they put it on their bodies, some express themselves through the work of tattoos. For those who do not go as far as tattoos, they express themselves through their wardrobe. It is actually a very cool concept that such various types of clothing, shoes, and accessories can accommodate to everyone’s own style and personal interests. However, not all self expression is physical. Where fashion and decoration fail, music speaks. Some of the greatest of self expression is through music. The world is filled with genre after genre of music and for some, lyrics speak for them when they cannot find the words themselves. Music speaks to everyone differently, and it is only then that you will discover what is left unsaid by not only yourself, but those around you. Self expression is our physical representation of who we are, and more often times than not, it speaks for us.
Curiosity inspires and also challenges us. More often times than not, curiosity is what inspires people to become a better version of themselves. It can inspire short term goals, such as picking up a guitar and wanting to learn your favorite song, finding yourself on a health kick to try and improve your personal health, or wanting to learn how to tumble. However, it can also lead us to much greater goals, such as getting into your dream college to study the field that you wish to spend the rest of your life working in and it is a beautiful thing.
Curiosity even goes as far as in inspiring us to explore the world around us. As we are little, we could spend hours upon hours just exploring our home and backyard, but as we grow older, we wish to go further. “The overly curious mind exhibits a “lust to find out and know,” not for any practical purpose but merely for the sake of knowing. Thanks to the “disease of curiosity” people go to watch freaks in circuses and charlatans in the piazzas. “ (Eamon.) It will take us everywhere, from our backyards, to local events, all the way to another country. It inspires self growth of knowledge of not only ourselves, but also of the world around us.
Curiosity plays a key role in how we go about our everyday lives. “I believe we are all a sum of our experiences, and that we choose what experiences we have based on our curiosity.” (Buckman.) Our curiosities and interests are meant to be indulged. They subconsciously lead us to some of our best experiences and memories, such as seeing your favorite band play two hours away, just getting in your car on a whim to go to the beach in the dead of winter just because you miss the sound of the waves crashing around you, and a group of your friends taking a trip across the country because you’re both so eager to explore somewhere that you’re not so accustomed to. Curiosity makes you want to explore not only the world around you, but also the world inside of you. It is not until you indulge your interests that you discover who you truly are and where your curiosity can take you.
Your curiosity carves itself into the little details of your being, and we mustn’t be so afraid to express it. More often times than not, we are too intimidated to show who we really are to others in fear of being judged and ridiculed. Being yourself is one of the best things you can do. It is important to maintain a relationship with yourself and accept all of your corks, but more importantly, it is vital that you do whatever it is that makes you happy and remember to always love yourself. No two people were designed to be the exact same, so do not act as if you are any exception.
Work Cited Page
Eamon, William. “The Disease Called Curiosity.” WilliamEamon. 2 August 2010. Web. 8 March 2015.
Buckman, Sarah. “Curiosity and Self.” English 101. Edublogs. 14 March 2014. Web. 8 March 2015.
Jayson. “Portfolio: Curiosity Memoir “CCP:Memoir.” Edublogs. 8 May 2014. Web. 30 March 2015. (Last name not specified.)