I have written about the positive aspect of curiosity in the past using myself as an example, relating to my experiences mostly from childhood and how it helped me discover a lot of things about the past, things that happened in my family. I also shared how knowledgeable curiosity made me, learning new things and growing better in the process. Most of us understand the positive impacts of curiosity, I believe, but today, let's explore harmful curiosity, more of the negative aspects of it.
So I ask, when does curiosity get harmful or even dangerous? There are times one pushes beyond boundaries in uncovering some truths or in a quest to discover something. Depending on the gravity of the truth you want to uncover via curiosity, it can be destructive and affect one emotionally.
Not everything one should dig into. I still remember one of the stupid things I did as a child out of curiosity, which I am ashamed to pen down here. I wish I am bold enough to say what it was, but even as I type, I still regret digging so deep to discover my head… lolz. The discovery tormented my life to the point that I opened up to my elder brother, who stood as a counselor to me, and I became emotionally stable again. Since then, I have never tried being such a curious cat; of course I wouldn't want to die, lolz; there are limits to everything.
Still on harmful curiosity, it could lead to invading someone's privacy and definitely harm a once-healthy relationship. I had a very good friend, but one of her weaknesses is being overly curious. I think I once mentioned how she forcefully took away my phone to read a conversation I had with my husband. You see, curiosity can make one overstep her boundaries; the lady was always prying into my privacy and curious to uncover every secret. It wasn't her business, but her curious mind wouldn't rest until she got what she wanted.
After she finished reading a conversation I had with my husband, it didn't end there; she went ahead and disclosed a sensitive project of my husband and me to another friend, expressing jealousy and what have you. I heard everything and never trusted her, not again. It was the beginning of our soured relationship to date. Many times, she has the urge to tell me things just like we used to tag along before, but she lacks the courage due to the broken trust. It was a result of harmful curiosity; you don't dig deep into people's privacy anyhow; the discovery might end up tormenting you emotionally.
Personally, I have also experienced the harmful aspect of curiosity. To say that I dealt with anxiety and confusion for a long period of time is an overstatement. The first time I visited a neurologist over my son's case, he explained to me a particular procedure that would be carried out in his brain. I went home overly curious to find out the possible aftermath of such a procedure. I embraced the Internet and overloaded my brain with information. It was overwhelming to the point that I went into depression. I was scared of checking my blood pressure those moments because I was overthinking. I wasn't sleeping well; all I do is close my eyes and imagine the effects of such a procedure in my son's life. I nearly developed health complications more than my son; I was trying to get treated. Over-curiosity caused it, leading me into anxiety and emotional trauma.
However, meeting the doctor on the next visit to express my worries gave me so much relief after hearing from him through his practical experience.
In conclusion, curiosity is a positive trait that pushes one to discover things and learn more, but it becomes a concern when one pushes beyond boundaries in the quest for more information; it can be quite destructive.
This post was inspired by the #inleo community and my entry to the #marchinleo monthly topic Day 13. You can check out the prompt to get involved..
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