Is Curiosity a Vice?
In modern culture, curiosity is often seen as a virtue. “If you’re bored you’re boring” is a common maxim.
And not without good reason. The word curious has the word cura, “care,” in it. To be curious is to be attentive, concerned, other-centric, care-ful.
On the other hand, the ancients and medievals (plus modern critics like Heidegger) understood the darker side of curiosity. To be curious can also mean to be distracted and unfocused, to be engrossed in trivia and gossip, to be reactive to an endless “newsfeed” of new information without any discernment.
The Torah (Numbers 15:39) commands the people not to stray impulsively (lo taturu)—the word used is the same word from which the English word tourism comes. Curiosity about other gods isn’t the sign of an “open mind” in this paradigm, but of an addicted one.
Now, being an explorer is a wonderful thing. But travel and adventure can also be shallow precisely because they are pseudo-deep, giving the impression of growth and change when in fact they are escapes. (Nothing wrong with some escapism from time to time, but we wouldn’t call it a virtue.)
The downside of curiosity is thinking wisdom is somewhere else. The downside of thinking wisdom is right in front of us is complacency.
What, for you, is the right (virtuous) amount of curiosity?
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