What Curiosity and Humility Are Not
what we DON'T mean when we discuss this month's theme
Hello!
This month’s theme for personal growth is Curiosity and Humility. Just about every daily post—the pep talks, activity ideas, book club, and even meal inspiration—will have something to do with that theme. I’m excited!
To begin, let’s talk about what we don’t mean when we talk about curiosity and humility, because if you’re like me, those words probably a spark a whole spectrum of ideas and experiences, many of them negative.
What Curiosity Is Not
Curiosity is not the same as being nosy.
Good curiosity is intended to lead towards innovation, empathy, and growth.
It stems from and feeds humility.
The curiosity we’re discussing here isn’t rubbernecking at a car accident, listening to neighbor gossip, or looking at the “Personal Life” section of a random celebrity’s Wikipedia page. (I struggle with that last one.)
Curiosity is not just for 4th grade science geeks.
Science lovers are awesome, of course, but we’re not talking about education here.1 No dissecting lamps or dinosaur discussions. Curiosity is something that I hope you and I never grow out of. We’re lifelong learners around here no matter how old we are, right?
Curiosity is not triviality.
You don’t need to be curious about things that don’t matter to you.
It’s helpful to know the names of minor characters in 80’s sitcoms if you’re trying to win prizes on Thursday nights at the bar, but it’s more fulfilling to pay attention to stories and perspectives than “did you know’s” that don’t serve any real purpose.
Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat.
At least not a healthy curiosity. We’re not talking about being risky here or making it our business to know things we’re not supposed to know. We’re not talking about going behind “Do Not Enter” fences (though in a later post we will mention visiting a ghost town 😉)
A healthy curiosity ultimately serves others and is intended to bring life, not destruction.
What Humility Is Not
Humility is not pretending to be bad at things that you’re good at.
Have you ever visited someone’s perfect house and she pointed out very minor clutter as “mess” to try to seem humble, but it really made you feel even more terrible about your actual messes? Or have you met a totally brilliant person who pretended they weren’t smart?
Being humble isn’t lying about your gifts.
Humility is not people-pleasing.
Being humble is not being a doormat.
If you let people walk all over you, you’re not loving them well or helping them grow.
Humility is not insecurity.
We all agree that arrogant people are self-absorbed, right? Conversely, if you’re constantly thinking about all the things you can’t do and that you’re not, your heart and mind are obsessed with the same thing as the egotistical guy: yourself. And, like pride, it’s harmful.
Self-absorption is self-absorption, whether it’s arrogance or insecurity.
Learning Together
I’ve read multiple books on humility and curiosity, and many of them begin with the author acknowledging that humility is a scary thing to write about because a “humility expert” seems to be an oxymoron 😅 If someone claims to have mastered humility, they clearly haven’t. I definitely feel awkward writing about this topic.
But keep in mind that people often write about what they want to know more about. They lead in ways they want to grow. That’s the case here.
I invite you to join me in learning about humility and curiosity and growing in those characteristics together.
Let’s jump in this month!
Warmly,
Hope from Family Scripts
P.S. Here are some discussion questions! Feel free to save these to your phone and ask your family a few while eating dinner or eating the last popsicles of the summer 😋 Feel free to put some of your answers in the comments!
P.P.S. If you want to see the first Pep Talk from each month and see the themes we’ve covered so far, here ya go! Paid subscribers can catch up on anything of interest in the archive, too.
Productivity/Purpose (January)
Simplicity/Generosity (February)
Attentiveness (March)
Peacefulness/Awe (April)
Creativity (May)
Health/Strength (June)
Childlikeness/Fun (July)
Self-Care/Priorities (August)
If you do want to read our posts on education, check out 7 Questions About Education and Reimagining Homeschool.