Curiosity: Without It We’re Nowhere

The famous funambulist Philipe Petit recommended that students place the following statement on their dormitory walls: “Fear is the absence of knowledge; to know is to love.”

Mario Livio, in his book Why? What Makes Us Curious, reaches the same conclusion. “Curiosity is the best remedy for fear.” He continues, “One of the clearest manifestations of freedom is precisely the ability to become interested in anything you like.”

But curiosity is not universally appreciated. Inquisitiveness has gotten more than a few people imprisoned, tortured, or…