Curiosity needs courage - LessWrong
This is a linkpost for https://amirbolous.com/posts/curiosity
* Introduction
* Growing Up
* The Missing Link
* Closing Thoughts
INTRODUCTION
One of the most courageous people I've ever met is my five year old cousin Max.
He has no trouble sprinting across the road when cars speed by, which is why we
have to hold his hand everywhere we go. He loves being thrown very high in the
air, while I get nauseous just thinking about roller coasters. And he enjoys
sticking his hands (and sometime other body parts for the matter) in the
hottest, coldest, and stickiest surfaces he can find - from flames to ice to
spiders.
Until a couple of months ago, I mistook his courage for stupidity. At least,
that's the narrative I was taught by society. "How would he know any better,
he's just a kid. " Looking back at some of Max's worst best moments, that
narrative didn't really add up. In fact, it felt a little unfair because it
implied that "Max did something stupid because he is ignorant." The more
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