It Killed the Cat

Curiosity seems to be neck in neck with the desire to have sex. If our species found very little interest in the notion of sex, then we most likely wouldn’t be here today. In the same manner, if we did not possess an ever present desire to know what something is, we would not have developed ourselves as far as we have. Granted, our curiosities have put us in an equal amount of peril when compared to our successes, but I guess that just the way it has to be. 

There is something frightening yet fascinating about the unknown. As much as you slow your hand towards something new, you also find it cannot be stopped until the door of secrets is opened. It would seem wise to think it is part of our genetic wiring. Without curiosity, we wouldn’t have tried to put two pieces of something together, jump off a cliff to see if we could fly, smoke a strange plant, put two spices together, put flesh in fire, or put our heads underwater like the fish. This, to the demise of many in the process, has been our bread and butter of progress. Although this discussion points its finger at humans, typically animals share this trait. There are not a lot of creatures which won’t eventually come to see what a flashing light or knocking sound is all about. 

But as mentioned in passing above, we have also been riding a proud wave a little too long. We wanted to know what splitting an atom would do, how much wealth would could acquire regardless of the cost, how we cold genetically modify life, how many people we could slaughter under one rule, and so forth. Many of our curiosities have turned into lifestyles and thus death sentences. Sadly the death sentences may not just be for the one, but the many, which includes all life on this planet and the planet itself. 

Hopefully our destructive curiosities have been enough to establish a light bulb of understanding which will stop the negative roll and rethink future decisions. If so this could turn our destiny into one of progress as opposed to folly.