In the hustle and bustle of adulthood, we often forget the sheer amazement that once filled our hearts as children. Do you remember those days? When you could stare at a patch of grass, a towering tree, or a majestic mountain and be utterly captivated? Back then, everything seemed to hold a touch of magic. Kids had a remarkable ability to laugh wholeheartedly at the simplest of things – a funny face their parents made, a quirky voice, or a playful tickle. But have you ever wondered why kids laugh more often than the average adult?
The answer lies in their unquenchable thirst for wonder. Children are like explorers in a new world. They see everything with fresh eyes, as if the universe has just unfurled before them. Every detail, every color, every shape is a source of endless fascination. They look at the world and wonder, “How can this magnificent beauty exist right where I live? How can there be people of different sizes, a myriad of colors, and vehicles that are nothing like humans but still transport us from one place to another?”
However, as we journey through life, we gradually lose touch with this profound sense of wonder. The grass becomes just grass, the trees are expected to be green, and mountains are simply mountains. The world itself becomes a habit, a routine we seldom pause to question. We forget that the world is a colossal mystery, a marvel we should never take for granted. We forget that we are special, living in a universe bursting with wonders waiting to be rediscovered.
Children shout to the heavens, “We are floating in space!” or “Why is the sky blue?” Their astonishment knows no bounds. Philosophers share this quality, for they never become accustomed to the world. They are the eternal wonderers, the seekers of answers to the most profound questions. In this sense, philosophers and small children share an important faculty – the ability to question, to marvel, to appreciate the unfathomable beauty and complexity of existence.
Yet, for many adults, the clamor of daily life drowns out the whispers of wonder. The child’s shout of amazement becomes the adult’s mundane query for butter or the obsession with stock prices. We get caught up in the practicalities of life – “What’s for dinner?” “Did my stocks rise today?” “How do I crack those FAANG interviews?” These questions, while important, often overshadow the grander questions about the world and our place in it.
So, here’s the question for you: Are you an adult who has grown accustomed to the world, accepting things as they are, or are you the child who still finds surprise in almost everything? Do you wonder how things became the way they are, why the universe exists, and what your role is in this grand cosmic narrative? The choice is yours. Embrace the wonder that’s always been within you, and you’ll find that the world is a place of perpetual amazement, waiting to be explored once more.
