By U Than Zaw
The word “Curiosity” is the wish to know things. It simply means a wish to know when a person is curious about anything; it means he is interested in it.
In itself, therefore, there is nothing wrong with curiosity. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, will depend on what people are curious about.
Curiosity is often silly, and sometimes it is wrong. In the village and small towns, there is a good deal of foolish curiosity. People with nothing better to do are full of curiosity about what their neighbours do. They want to know what they eat, what money they earn, why are a woman has got a new Hta-hbi, why another does not get married, why Maung Hla come home late at night, or why Maung Mya bought a ring in the bazaar.
Such curiosity is silly because these things themselves are so trivial. Also, it is no business of their own or what their neighbours do. It would be better if they mind their own business, and left neighbours alone whatever it might be.
Such curiosity is not only foolish, but curiosity that takes mischief gives rise to lies and scandals, which hurt. For it generally leads to gossip and idle gossip often gives rise to lies and scandal, which hurt innocent people.
But, as you know, all children are curious and their curiosity is a good thing. When a child begins to notice things what they are and what they mean. So, he is always asking questions.
He is always saying What? Why? How? Where? That is the way he learns and as for grown-up people should always be patient with curious children and try to answer their questions best.
And there is noble curiosity also, the curiosity of wise men who wonder at all the great things “Nature” has made and try to find out all they can about curiosity. Columbus could never have found America if he had not been curious.
James Watt would not have made the steam engine if he had not been curious about the raising of the kettle lid. Willian F.B. Morse would not have made or invented W/T Wireless Telegraphy Morse Code we could not have telegraph communications in the whole world, even I could not earn my living as R/O (Radio Officer) onboard, Mercantile Marine for 23 and half years, isn’t it?
All the discoveries of science have been due to man’s curiosity about their desire to know. Curiosity about great and noble things is noble curiosity.
