October 19, 2020
In my book, I describe how Leonardo da Vinci became a polymath and the ideal Renaissance Man not by being special, gifted, or superhuman, but by having an insatiable curiosity that he pursued throughout his entire life. That curiosity led him to create art, invent machinery, and document previously unknown human anatomy and physiology.
One of the greatest disservices that a healthy, intelligent man can do to himself is stifle his own curiosity.
Curiosity is one of the greatest attributes of the human species. The need to scratch the itch of curiosity has led to the advancement of our species throughout the ages. We wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without intelligent and bold people seeking answers to very big questions:
- What land is beyond the horizon that has never been explored?
- How does the human body work?
- What happens when these two chemicals are mixed?
- What’s it like in outer space?
One of the most egregious characteristics of fundamentalist religion is that it robs its adherents of their natural curiosity. As soon as a man professes his faith in that religion, he is immediately given a list of answers to the greatest (and most exciting) questions of life and the human experience:
- Where did he come from?
- What happens to him when he dies?
- Where did the earth and universe come from?
- What is the best way for him to live?
- What should he believe?
- How should he behave?
- How should others behave?
- What is the ideal way the world should be?
The result is that this man—and millions of others—lives in a fundamentalist box where there is no need to think, wonder, experiment, or ask questions.
Curiosity is innate in all of us because not only does it drive us to increase our knowledge, but it helps us to protect ourselves. It contributes to our human need for self preservation because asking “why” is a very strong start to getting out of situations that are wrong for you.
If you’ve deconverted, chances are high it all started because of your curiosity. You probably began asking questions about the traditional dogma that had always been provided to you.
- Why are there contradictions in the Bible?
- Why don’t my prayers get answered?
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
Much like Leonardo da Vinci, your curiosity led you to seek out answers. You probably first asked your pastor or an older Christian who was mentoring you, and they probably gave you unsatisfying responses such as “have faith” or “I don’t have all the answers, but I trust God.”
These responses work for a while, but there always comes a point where they no longer satisfy. Your curiosity then drives you to look outside the Church for answers—science, philosophy, and history.
Therefore, you have your natural curiosity to thank for guiding you away from the suboptimal condition you were in—the box of fundamentalist religion.
Now that you’re on the other side of fundamentalist religion, don’t stop following your curiosity. Indulging your curiosity is how you move forward from the pain, trauma, and anger phase of your deconversion. It helps you rediscover many things that you thought you already had the answers to:
- The truth about the world you inhabit.
- How to live a life that is meaningful for you and not how your pastor says you should live.
- How to discover new passions and interests.
- How to discover your real life Mission and not the mission given to you by the church.
As long as you stay curious, you will always have a path to walk.
If you have not yet deconverted from your religion, but you’ve started to experience doubt, that doubt is your curiosity speaking to you. Follow it and embrace it.
If you’re afraid, I understand. Fear is normal. Fear is present in most all deconversions. Stick around this place and you’ll find a community of men who have traversed this road ahead of you.