Learning's Secret Ingredient

In the Book Review section of the New York Times this morning I read a wonderful review of the book "Einstein - His Life and Universe" by Walter Isaacson.

It inspired me to go out and buy the book this afternoon (a review of my own to follow), but it also compelled me to post to JJL this evening because of this quote by Einstein:

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”

This, coming from a person considered to be THE genius of the 20th century?  It set me back in my chair for a moment. But then I realized I had stumbled upon a secret ingredient to learning.

While I had never put those two words together like that before, they made absolutely perfect, elegant sense.

We all can't be Einsteins coming up with theories of relativity, but we can use our passionate curiosity to inspire a lifetime of great learning and achieving.

What are you passionately curious about?

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Terry Starbucker is an operations executive for a service company who lives in Connecticut, loves business trips to the Rocky Mountain west, and posts his musings and observations about "the optimistic side of the daily grind" in Ramblings from a Glass Half Full. 

Comments

[David Zinger]

Terry,

I appreciate you focus on passionate curiosity. This is what makes for lifelong learning and enriched living for me.

I also liked Einstein's quote: Make things as simple as possible but not simpler.

Carry on being curious Terry,

David Zinger

[Terry Starbucker]

Thanks David for your comment, and the additional Einstein quote. I'm looking forward to reading this book! Alll the best.

[Rosa Say]

I smiled when I read this Terry, for it seemed so very fitting as a quote you would pull out for us ... so enthusiastically and optimistically Starbucker! To know you is to realize this is not a secret at all, but an enthusiasm shared.

They are a fabulous duet of words, "passionately curious," mahalo (thank you) for sharing them with us.

[Terry Starbucker]

Thanks Rosa, and I love your description "fabulous duet", for they are two feelings singing in harmony. All the best!

[Lucy Chan]

A Genius has a mind capable of storing information and come up with a new solution. The truth is all the laws of nature are there, the human mind writes down his observation for the good of humanity. It was not an invention but an observation and to clarify what is already there.

[Terry Starbucker]

Thank you Lucy for your thoughtful comment! Interesting obervations on the nature of Genius. All the best.