Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Strategic Monk

Home
Contemplative
Monastic Strategies: The Power of Curiosity

Monastic Strategies: The Power of Curiosity

Last updated on: March 29, 2022 at 4:23 am by Greg Richardson

Monastic Strategies: The Power of Curiosity 2022-03-29T04:23:39-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Power of Curiosity

Many of the things we do are motivated by curiosity. We get interested in something and set off to find out more about it.

The people who inspire me are curious. They want to find out how far or fast we can go and what is going to happen next. There is something about my own curiosity which gets me to do things I might not think I want to do.

Why is curiosity powerful? What makes us wonder and then try to figure out how something works?

We begin to see dim, foggy outlines of an idea or a goal and start to wonder. Curiosity draws us to investigate. What motivates us to want to understand?

It is not particularly motivating for me to do the same thing every day in the same way. Routine tends not to hold my interest particularly well. In fact, routine often makes me curious. Can we find more effective, more efficient, better ways to do this? What if we tried this or that?

The people who inspire me to wonder ask more questions than they give answers.

It does not take my imagination long to start asking its own questions. What if we tried doing it this way? Why did they ever think that was a good way to do it? How can we make this less confusing?

What about the bigger, deeper questions?

Curiosity teaches us it is what we learn after we know the answers which is important. The more we learn, the more we discover there is to learn and explore.

People are curious and share their curiosity with us, bringing out the best in us.

Our curiosity grows from our sense of wonder, prompting us to ask questions and listen to responses.

Monastic Curiosity

Monks are some of the most curious people I know. They wonder and ask questions and listen.

Sometimes monks are curious about things which make the rest of us wonder. Their curiosity draws them into a way of life spent questioning and reflecting.

Some people view monks as having found their answers. They believe monastic life is about being certain and sharing that certainty with other people. People often take their questions to monks and expect them to supply the answers.

The monks I know are explorers. Their wonder about some of the basic questions of life inspires them to keep looking and asking. Monks are generally not satisfied with accepted answers or conventional wisdom. Monastic curiosity draws them forward to discover truth for themselves.

The monks who inspire me do not find easy answers particularly comforting. They tend to find simple solutions to be places to start asking, not accepting them as end results.

Monks spend time each day questioning and reflecting. Their prayers and contemplation are not ways to calm their fears, but to spark their wonder.

Curious monks have contributed to significant scientific and technological developments. They take time to pay attention and reflect on what makes them curious.

It may seem ironic when monastic life opens people up to deeper curiosity. We may think curiosity draws us out into the world to try new things. How can the set daily and weekly schedules of monastic life encourage curiosity?

The most inspiringly curious monks I know do not allow the limits of time or space to get in their way.

Wonderful Curiosity

Curiosity takes us places we would not otherwise be able to visit. The power of wonder can turn ordinary and routine tasks into adventures. How can we inspire the spark of monastic curiosity in other people?

My curiosity grows when I pay attention. I notice something which makes me wonder and I become curious. The leaders who inspire curiosity in me give me opportunities to pursue my sense of wonder.

It may be something out of the ordinary, or something I see every day. There is a connection between what I notice and my sense of wonder. I may be curious about how or why or when.

Some people bring out the best in others around them, including curiosity. They recognize what we are doing is more than working toward a specified result. Our shared experience shapes the way we approach the future.

Wonder carries us into what we will do next just as we carry it. Some of our curiosity is focused on specific tasks and some is more about general exploration.

We inspire wonder in other people by sharing our own with them. It is contagious, spreading and growing from person to person.

Where Will Curiosity Take Us Next?

Satisfying our curiosity is a challenge. We always seem to have something more to discover and explore. The spark of wonder lights our path forward.

There does not appear to be any limits to the power of curiosity.

When we get curious we go beyond the limits we thought we had. There always seems to be another step to take and how far we will go becomes difficult to predict.

Our wonder will lead us past boundaries we thought were impenetrable. We will bend or even break rules we believed would keep us safe and secure. There is something about being curious which melts through our expectations and assumptions.

What do we wonder about today? How will we find time to explore what has made us curious as long as we can remember?

We wonder and ask questions and listen. The leaders who inspire us with their curiosity give us opportunities to discover and explore. We are curious about the world and people around us, about ourselves, and about spiritual life.

Curiosity often inspires us to move further out into the world. It draws us toward exploring our true selves. We may pursue what makes us curious in a classroom or an office or a monastery.

I wonder where curiosity will take us next.

Who is inspiring our curiosity today?

What will bring out the monastic curiosity in us this week?

[Image by Monika Kostera (urbanlegend)]

Greg Richardson is a spiritual director in Southern California. He is a recovering assistant district attorney and associate university professor, and is a lay Oblate with New Camaldoli Hermitage near Big Sur, California. Greg’s website is StrategicMonk.com and his email address is [email protected].

Blog

Monastic Strategies

Previous Post

March 24, 2022

Spiritual Direction: Paying Attention to Spring

Next Post

April 7, 2022 Spiritual Direction: Where Do We Turn?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Timothy's mother?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Eunice Lois Mary Priscilla