As the saying goes, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’. Curiosity is a good thing. At the same time, it is considered a bad thing. It can lead you into hot waters. You can find yourself involved in things against your better judgment. All because you were curious.
The argument, then, is if curiosity is a good thing in Singapore children, should you encourage it? The debate is an ongoing one, with many in favor of allowing your children to be as curious as they want.
Some, however, preach about a dark side to this desire to know. This is something that should be taken seriously.
Curiosity: The Debate
Famous physicist Albert Einstein once said ‘The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing’.
It is natural. It is in every single being ever born. It is what drives you, what motivates you to learn. Being a tutor in Singapore prepares you to hear the question ‘why?’ in tuition sessions. You always have to be prepared to hear that question and be ready with a satisfactory answer.
While curiosity is endearing and actually beneficial, a debate rages that it needs to be curbed. Some educational systems in the world make it a point of interest to reduce the number of curiosity kids naturally have. But there are other temptations to pique a child’s curiosity.
Other Avenues That Encourage Curiosity
There are books, television, and, most worrisome, the Internet. Your child can wander onto sites with a weird sense of ‘fun’. Quickly their minds grasp this and they want to find out more. Curiosity leads to knowledge, but not all knowledge is necessary. Not all knowledge is good.
The people you hear of who invented terrible weapons or methods of torture, it was most likely curiosity that set them on that path. As a parent in Singapore, you may feel that curbing your child’s quest to ‘know’ is a good idea.
While the debate goes on and on, you have to admit that curiosity has its benefits. Curiosity isn’t only about intellectuality. Curiosity has emotional, social, and mental benefits as well.
The Pros of Curiosity
Survival
As parents in Singapore, you are concerned about your child’s future. How will they survive in this big, wide world? Being curious actually helps with this. Curiosity makes your child learn more about his immediate environment. They take note of the changes. Their brains continue to store and expand their knowledge base. As they learn more about the world, their survival instincts are evolving as well.
Good Relationships
One good thing about children is that, because they are curious, they are not overly shy. During tuition sessions, if they see a new face, they are not afraid to ask. Genuine curiosity makes them reach out. And the stranger responds because of that curiosity. Children are able to build relationships through this. Because your children are curious, they can make friends easily, and create bonds that last.
Protects the Brain
Curiosity strengthens the brain, and protects it from diseases, like most forms of dementia. Seeking out new things, discovering how to do new things, and even playing games keeps the brain active.
As a tutor, you can introduce some fun brain teasers in tuition classes. Curiosity creates interest, and soon enough the children are learning and participating and having fun. The brain gets stronger when this happens.
Happiness
Studies have shown that curious children are happy children. They are less anxious about things. They are very positive and more satisfied with life. They are healthier psychologically. Some say that it is happier people who are more curious, but this goes both ways. The opportunity to learn something new sparks the ‘happy’ centre in the brain. So, curious children are happy children.
The Dangers of Curiosity
Wrong Decision Making
The main danger of curiosity lies in making the wrong decisions. The story of Pandora and her box illustrates this. Warned not to open the box, Pandora got so curious that she just had to do so. Out flew all the evils that are in the world today, or so the story goes. Curiosity is like an itch that can’t be ignored. You won’t rest till you know.
Curiosity can make your children do things that they will regret. The urge to know more pushes you to take a rash decision, not caring about the consequences. People who live life on the edge are basically highly curious beings.
Thrill Seeking
Recent studies have shown a part of thrill-seeking is led mainly by an uncontrollable urge to act on their curious tendencies. This can cause serious damage as it may lead the child giving in to his urges reducing his ability to weigh important decisions.
This can be evident to youths like Paul Logan, a famous YouTuber who offends the world by showing disrespect to the Japanese in his YouTube video.
Mood Swings
Curiosity can lead to results of disappointments when he found out things not are what they seem to be thus making the child moody. Too much disappointment in early life will lead to a negative outlook in the child’s mind.
Unfocus And Distracting
Curiosity when too much can cause attention deficit. The child may be distracted during the lesson to focus his tasks at hand and pursue whatever his inquisitiveness wanders.
Conclusion: Curiosity can be both a Benefit and a Detriment
The pros of curiosity do not really outweigh the cons. That doesn’t mean that curiosity is more dangerous than it is good. Knowing that curiosity has a bad side helps your child in making decisions.
From an early age, your children can decide what is wrong or right if you help them. As they grow older, they can tell if they want something just out of curiosity, or if it is really important. Don’t try to suppress their curious nature. Don’t let them run with it either. Guide them on how to make the right choices. Eventually, they will learn when and when not to indulge their curious minds.
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