Curiosity

Time and again, I’ve been surprised by how often my professional interests and pursuits have collided or overlapped with formative events and explorations in my personal life. For example, my personal and professional dive into the importance of life lessons and leaving a legacy.

The microwave was invented accidentally in 1945 by a self-taught engineer named Percy Spencer, who was leading a radar project for the defense giant, Raytheon. While testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, he discovered that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted from the heat. He decided to try another experiment by placing some popcorn kernels near the magnetron, and watched as the kernels popped.

One of the living humans I most admire is Dr. Atul Gawande, who graduated from Stanford five years after me. This prominent surgeon, Harvard professor, humanist and healthcare expert wrote the New York Times bestseller “Being Mortal” and was the commencement speaker to Stanford graduate students, where he uttered the sentence that is the title of today’s blog.

More than 80 years ago, Swiss engineer George de Mestral was walking his dog when he noticed burrs sticking to him and his pooch. Most of us would have just complained about what comes next: de-burring the dog. But George was curious. No, Chip, don't go there!

New purposes require new questions.

“Language is the house of Being . . .” - Martin Heidegger

As we develop each of our MEA campuses, we brainstorm the adjectives and experiences that might create a set of original spaces.

At Airbnb, I was a Socrates-wannabe. I liked asking questions. Most of the time, this worked. It helped us to see our blind spots, both personally and organizationally. But occasionally, I would get a response like this one from a mid-level manager: "Okay, Mr. Modern Elder, enough with the curiosity! Let's get shit done!"

As a journalist, I am fascinated by questions--so much so that I have taken to calling myself a "questionologist."

I loved this Washington Post story by Matt Fuchs that outlines the research showing that singing, dancing, improv comedy, writing, and painting all help create more openness in older adults, leading to greater longevity. Of course, creativity is not just limited to the arts. Problem-solving, landscaping, traveling, and advising a friend also can make the same difference.