Curiosity killed the cat?

I read an article in today’s newspaper that I found interesting. It was about the link between unusual curiosity and a sense of well-being. “Trait curious” people, as psychologists’ call them, have an infinite sense of wonder and tend to delve deeply into things that interest them. Incidentally these interests are wide and varied, and they often get lost in the focus of their attention. It is postulated that these people are ‘happier’ than their more disengaged peers because of the satisfaction they gain from learning new things.

It’s really all very logical. Curious people would probably never know the meaning of boredom since there are just too many things in the world (and beyond) to discover and master. How wonderful it must be to be capable of such continual fascination! I know of only one person who is exactly like this and I completely understand and perhaps am a little jealous, but in the best way possible :). What shines in his eyes are the twin lights of active interest and intelligence.

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While for all intents and purposes I quite often appear to be detached and bored, I know that I love to try new things. My curiosity so far has been more of an actively ‘do and learn it’ rather than a ‘read and learn about it’. For instance if I wanted to find out about scuba-diving, I’d just go and do it instead of researching everything about it first. (Though this might be a really bad example because I actually did a fair bit of research after I committed to it and scared myself well and good before I even put on a wet suit!) And while I am definitely game for new things I tend to be more selective and the biggest problem is sustaining an interest in it. I have a short attention span and can lose interest as fast as I gain interest. This has caused quite a bit of difficulty for me since for as long as I can remember I have always been on a quest to find that one (or two, or three!) all consuming passion, believing that it will bring me happiness, fulfillment and lasting contentment. Not finding it leaves me slightly depressed, disillusioned and dare I say it, bored.

I have hope though and I find myself not too worried these days that I have yet to find my Nirvana. A wise person once advised me not to try to hard and expect too much. Not to put all my eggs in one basket, not to place all my bets on one horse as it is setting myself up for major disappointment when I don’t immediately take to it like a duck to water. To accept that I might not necessarily ever find that elusive thing, but in the meantime I shouldn’t waste my time moaning about it but instead try and experience everything and if it doesn’t work out just move on to the next and the next after that. And who knows, perhaps one day when I least expect it, I might inadvertently stumble upon it.

One can hope, yes, one can hope.