Curiosity, Confusion, and Courage

“The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity.” -- Dorothy Parker

confusion as he wondered what to significant end results. the mold was, how it seemed to In my case it was a thimbleful kill the bacteria, and if it might be of courage; however, for Fleming useful. His confusion created the and others like him, it was boldly determination to follow his curiosity courageous to risk his career as well and resulted in life-saving Penicillin as years of time and energy to follow Recently in my wanderings, I’ve his confusion and curiosity. noticed some granary trees that So far, I haven’t received an answer

Elizabeth Lesser, author and appeared abandoned. Curiosity. Why about the abandoned granary trees founder of Omega Institute, would a woodpecker expend all although I have developed some talked with Tim Ferriss that effort to create a storage system theories: (podcast) about her childhood 1. Since the trees continue and stated, “I was just massively growing, perhaps at some point confused and massively the holes fill in or are somehow not curious.” For some reason that satisfactory to the woodpeckers. combination of curious and 2. It takes about eight years to confused struck me. create a granary tree. Maybe the

Curiosity is s basic part woodpeckers grow old and abandon of my nature, therefore the trees. Or something happens to understandable ... but confused? Is that a positive thing? It took Empty Granary the family that created the tree. 3. Or, maybe woodpeckers awhile to see confusion as a are granary tree “creators” not driver, the emotional element for thousands of acorns and then “remodelers,” always off to new trees that lifts curiosity from a passing abandon it I wondered? Confusion. and challenges. thought to a provider of energy and Querying the internet didn’t One of the helpful responses I determination. produce any answers although I received was from Kate Marionchild

There are many stories about assumed that the experts knew why ... the woman who originally invention that illustrate the this happened. More confusion. prompted this learning journey interaction between curiosity and Finally, deciding that into granary trees. Her confusion. For instance, Alexander I wanted to include the book launched a lot of Fleming returned from vacation in question in this volume of curiosity and thinking 1928 to find mold growing in a Petri The Granary Tree, I sent out about the oak woodland dish of staphylococcus. He might queries to a few experts that is my part-time have just wondered why the mold and discovered that there home. had a bacteria-free circle around is a third component to itself as he dropped the dish into this cycle: courage. It takes the trash. In which case, he might courage to act on our never have won the Nobel Prize in confusion, to direct our Physiology or Medicine in 1945. curiosity toward interesting

However, his curiosity turned into questions which might lead What are you confused and curious about?

Palomar Mountain granary tree