No matter how smart you are, how many years you've been in school, how old you are, how educated/experiences you happen to be, or any other factor--you always have more to learn. There is no point in life when any of us can sit back and say, "I've learned everything there is to know, there's nothing left for me to discover." It just doesn't happen.
Learning doesn't always have to be academic either. Every person you meet has something they can teach you, usually without you even realizing it. Everyone has had different experiences and experiences the world in a slightly different way than you do; that means that every time you interact with someone there is potential to learn something about the world that you might have never realized on your own.
The biggest mistake we can make as people is feeling as though we have nothing left to learn.
New discoveries are made because people are curious. Exploration is the bi-product of curiosity. A sense of wonder is what breeds creativity.
Everything deserves to be questioned, everything deserves to be understood and explored.
As Albert Einstein says "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."
Curiosity is the mother of invention and complacency is the death of creativity. Amazing things come from intense curiosity and lifelong learning, nothing spectacular comes from the notion that you already know everything worth knowing.
Curious people:
1. Keep an open mind
Being curious and learning new information inevitably means that your beliefs will be challenged at some point. You have to be open to new ideas and concepts you never thought of before, otherwise you will be rejecting knowledge instead of truly absorbing and appreciating it.
2. Question everything
Curious people know that they never have the full story, they always want to know more. There is always more information available and curious people crave it. They always want to know more and more and more.
3. Try to understand the deeper meaning
Everything means more than it seems to initially. Curious people constantly ask "why?" The bare minimum is never enough for a curious mind.
4. Never think of anything as boring
No subject is boring to someone with passionate curiosity. An english major can still be greatly intrigued by the inner workings of the human body just as a mathematician can wonder how the earth was made, no subject is too dull.
5. Read a lot
The easiest (and arguably most fun) way to learn new information is through literature. Whether it comes from a textbook or a murder mystery novel every text has new and useful information. There is nothing you could want to learn about that isn't written somewhere in some form.
6. Seek out the unexpected
Surprises are exhilarating for curious minds. New and exciting discoveries about the earth or the universe, an unexpected fact about a foreign country, anything that stretches what is thought of as "normal" is beyond exciting.
7. Aren't afraid to admit when they don't know something
Curious people aren't afraid to admit that they don't have all the information. Most people are hesitant to admit that they don't know some things, we usually think it's embarrassing. But, admitting you don't have all the information is the first step to discovering new ideas!
8. Stay in the moment
It's important to live in the now. Every moment is unique and there is something new to learn every minute of the day. There's no time to dwell on the past or be wistful of the future when there are so many things to discover right now.
9. Take risks
How could you ever learn something new if you never step out of your comfort zone? Some of the most amazing discoveries happen through taking risks and being a part in new experiences. Every new experience has a plethora of information to share.
10. Are passionate about knowledge
Curiosity stems from the desire to know more, to understand more, to essentially gather more knowledge. A thirst for information propels curiosity forward.
Never lose your sense of wonder. Be present in the world and always recognize that there is something new to discover every day, even if it is something as small as how beautiful the sunset can look on a brisk fall night. Nothing is too small of a discovery--everything is worth exploring.
