Always Be Curious

CNN reports today scientists have found a rock in Arizona that may depict and ancient artistic rendering of a large supernova, visible in 1006. Imagine what such a thing must have sparked in the minds os a people accustomed to observing the world around them, especially the skies!

Did they think of the sky as a dome? Were the stars and planets to them evidence of the gods? The CNN article does not tell us anything about the presumed culture that produced the art, but some things (to me, anyway) are certain.

First, it has always been the nature of our species to be curious, and to wish to record that which fascinates us. Second, science advances our understanding of the world around us, but it is up to ourselves to give our lives and work meaning.

I encounter many working people who struggle to find meaning in their jobs and careers. Furthermore, we live in an age of much economic and social dislocation on a global scale. Seeing multiple systems of meaning fight for dominance among groups of people can be highly unsettling. Those who succeed the most in deriving pleasure and enjoyment from their work are the ones who remain curious, and who remain willing to imbue their efforts with meaning, no matter what others around them may think or say.