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Nicole Haxmeier
ENG 105; Abstract Noun Curiosity
Mrs. Kilburg
19 September 2016
William Arthur Ward once said, Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.
Curiosity is the trait that drives society to reach levels never before obtained. Only through a
curious mind do we have the passion to explore and question the world. Those questions guide
the willing ones of the human race to learn and interpret everything in the world around them,
leading to advancements in medicine, technology, and any other concept fathomable. Curiosity is
a late Middle English term coined between the years of 1350 and 1400. It comes from the AngloFrench word curiosite, which came from the Latin word curiositas (The Definition of Curiosity).
The word was used more often in 1800, and its usage steadily declined since then. Since life
offers many mysteries, the world ignites the curiosity living within.
Curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something (The Definition of
Curiosity). Something is learned through exploration, experience, or persistent studying.
Curiosity is inquisitive, interesting, and questioning. It is an interest that goes deeper than just
gaining knowledge. It is striving to explore the elements of the world. The knowledge acquired
through curiosity builds on itself, developing new ideas, branching out, and opening possibilities.
Curiosity leads to the development of new ideas through observation and partaking in events out
of the regular domain. It opens possibilities by creating social connections through others with
the same interest, and builds on itself by linking curiosities to create new notions.
Curiosity is not a detachment from something. Curiosity is not disinterest, ordinary, or
unconcern. It will not stimulate a feeling of familiarity. It is not labeling things as boring and
having a paucity of interest in the world. Curiosity is not facing conundrums with apathy, but
excitement. Curiosity is not seeing only what the surface presents, but beyond. It is not following

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the path that is only propitious, but the path that is compelling. It is not acceptance of everything
passing by in a lifetime. Curiosity is not letting the fear of failure rule over passion or interest.
The first step to curiosity is interest. In order to become dedicated to a specific subject, an
interest must first be ignited. Second, there must be something unknown about the topic a person
is eager to discover. Next, they must wonder about the unknown, and scrutinize different
theories. Lastly, the person develops a curiosity. They will feel a strong urge to learn more, and
often if they are dedicated enough, it will lead to advancement or discovery.
The symbol that stands for curiosity is the question mark. It symbolizes the unknown in
the process of curiosity. A similar symbol is the thought bubble. Often it will be used in comics
or cartoons to indicate the curious thoughts of the character. Another symbol of curiosity is a
school desk. School offers the introduction to many concepts that have the potential to spike a
curiosity in the young generation. This is most likely an elementary school desk, because young
children have not yet reached a point where learning in the school environment is monotonous.
In order to work, curiosity first needs a mind that has not yet been tainted by the world to
believe there is nothing else to learn. Curiosity needs passion and wonder. It needs an open mind
and a heart with a void to be filled. It needs a person willing to take risks and make mistakes.
Curiosity needs an environment willing to offer possibilities into the hands of the fearful.
Curiosity needs someone who appreciates the world, but possesses the insight to see beneath its
surface.
Curiosity looks like constant questioning and attempting to answer the questions
internally. Curiosity is seeing another world behind the humans visible realm. It is new ideas,
new possibilities, and new reasons for exploration. Curiosity is the intellectual giants of the past,
present, and future. It is never labeling something as boring, but giving it a chance to occupy

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the mind in hopes of igniting passionate curiosity. Bernard Baruch stated, Millions saw the
apple fall, but Newton asked why. It is the stellar ability to ask questions that are seemingly
unimportant that create curiosity.
It is human nature that all people are born with curiosity. Children are constantly
discovering new things and their imaginations are larger than their realities. Often throughout life
those realities take over in order to survive in the world. The state of awe that once framed life is
lost, and life can become seemingly mechanical. However, this curiosity can be reignited with
books, movies, or the introduction of a previous interest, but the person must want to be curious
again. Things will never change if the world is only seen in black and white.
In Gone with the Wind, Margret Mitchell wrote, The very mystery of him excited her
curiosity like a door that had neither a lock or key (Brindley). Curiosity can be woken by more
than just an intellectual concept, but a person, place, or thing. The mystery of the boy in the book
excited the girls curiosity because she was unaware of what he held behind his outer barrier, like
how a plain door can hide the most unexpected of secrets. A popular quote by Eugene ONeill
reads, Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. This means that although
curiosity may lead to an unfortunate situation, the satisfaction of discovering what first instigated
that feeling will always prevail.
The world ignites the curiosity within through its many mysteries. Curiosity is a strong
desire to know or learn something, and is an essential trait for the advancement of the human
race. The four steps are interest, unknown, wonder, and curiosity. A question mark, a thought
bubble, and an elementary school desk symbolize it. Curiosity looks like the intellectual giants of
the past, and needs an open mind. We are all born with curiosity, and can either let it burn out, or
allow it to flourish.

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Works Cited
Brindley, Arrion Kathleen. "101 Best Similes in Literature." 101 Best Similes in Literature. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. <http://www.writers-free-reference.com/100bestsimile.htm>.
Brown, Lachlan. "The Importance of Developing Curiosity." World of Psychology. N.p., 26 May
2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/05/26/theimportance-of-developing-curiosity/>.
"Curious." Thesaurus.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/curious>.
"The Definition of Curiosity." Dictionary.com. Random House Inc., 2016. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.dictionary.com/browse/curiosity>.