The gratification of curiosity rather frees us from uneasiness, than confers pleasure.—We are more pained by ignorance, than delighted by instruction.—Curiosity is the thirst of the soul.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
One of the secrets of life is to keep our intellectual curiosity acute.
—William Lyon Phelps (1865–1943) American Literary Scholar, Academic
Go around asking a lot of damn fool questions and taking chances. Only through curiosity can we discover opportunities, and only by gambling can we take advantage of them.
—Unknown
Only free people can hold their purpose and their honor steady to a common end, and prefer the interest of mankind to any narrow interest of their own.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.
—Agatha Christie (1890–1976) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
As children we all possess a natural uninhabited curiosity, a hunger for explanations, which seems to die slowly as we age—suppressed, I suppose by the need not to appear ignorant.
—Mahlon Hoagland (1921–2009) American Biochemist
Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Inquisitive people are the funnels of conversation; they do not take anything for their own use, but merely to pass it on to others.
—Richard Steele (1672–1729) Irish Writer, Politician
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
I could not, at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. The fatal thing is the rejection. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
What we want to tell, we wish our friend to have curiosity to hear.
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761) English Novelist, Printer, Publisher
Curiosity is only vanity. Most frequently we wish not to know, but to talk. We would not take a sea voyage for the sole pleasure of seeing without hope of ever telling.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
That low vice, curiosity!
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The curiosity of an honorable mind willingly rests where the love of truth does not urge it further onward and the love of its neighbor bids it stop.—In other words, it willingly stops at the point where the interests of truth do not beckon it onward, and charity cries “Halt.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever puts one down without the feeling of disappointment.
—Charles Lamb (1775–1834) British Essayist, Poet
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
—Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) American Playwright
I loathe that low vice, curiosity.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The greatest virtue of man is perhaps curiosity.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Curiosity killed the cat.
—Common Proverb
It is a shameful thing to be weary of inquiry when what we search for is excellent.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Let your self go. If you can approach the world’s complexities, both its glories and its horrors, with an attitude of humble curiosity, acknowledging that however deeply you have seen, you have only scratched the surface, you will find worlds within worlds, beauties you could not heretofore imagine, and your own mundane preoccupations will shrink to proper size, not all that important in the greater scheme of things.
—Daniel C. Dennett (b.1942) American Philosopher, Atheist, Author
Desire to know why, and how—curiosity, which is a lust of the mind, that a perseverance of delight in the continued and indefatigable generation of knowledge—exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) English Political Philosopher
There are different kinds of curiosity; one of interest, which causes us to learn that which would be useful to us; and the other of pride, which springs from a desire to know that of which others are ignorant.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
—Pierre-Marc-Gaston, duc de Levis
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
—Walt Disney (1901–66) American Entrepreneur
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