Curiosity As An Enabler
Hearing ‘no‘, ‘can’t‘ or ‘it’s not possible‘ can be common for people living marginalised. But ‘can’t‘ isn’t necessarily right and ‘not possible‘ isn’t always the case. Sometimes, it comes from people unwilling to move beyond assumptions or ask questions. Why they do that is their problem, but it doesn’t mean you can’t challenge it. Because as I explored in a recent LinkedIn article, sometimes, the supposedly ‘impossible‘ can be made possible, ‘can’t‘ can become can and ‘no‘ can be turned into yes. One of the key components of making the impossible possible is curiosity.
I was once told I wouldn’t ever drive. But now, I do. The impossible? Made possible. It started with one ally willing to question the ‘no‘ I’d been given and support investigating whether it was really, actually a no. Turns out, it wasn’t, and so the no became yes (a little more on that story here, here and here). The willingness of that ally to question? In part, curiosity.
Curiosity is something that opens doors and enables potential and possibility. Because instead of assuming, curiosity seeks to understand and ask questions. Curiosity enables the change and the shift. Without my pushing back and asking if the ‘no‘ I’d been given really was a no and the support of others willing to investigate why I’d been told no and whether it really was a no, and later help explore what would enable can, driving would have remained an impossibility for me. Something I can’t do. But because of curiosity, driving became a possibility. Not just a possibility, but a reality.
You know yourself best, so you will have a good sense of when a ‘no‘, ‘can’t’ or ‘impossible’ feels right versus when it comes from someone being closed and uncurious. But, if you’re ever unsure, I’d encourage you to get curious, just in case- ask the questions, explore, try and undestand. You never know what you might find and what could be possible that you thought might never be.
Without curiosity, many of us who are marginalised would face a lot more ‘impossible’, ‘can’t’ and ‘no’ that couldn’t be altered. Our lives might not be as possible or as full as they are. In that way, curiosity might be something of a survival tool. A good one. Because it encourages exploration, creativity and adaptation. Curiosity that requires change may feel confronting to some, but for those of us for whom curiosity makes possible, it’s something of a lifelline. That doesn’t mean it’s not hard, but I think that it’s worth it. Consider; what might change if you became curious? Would it really be that bad?
Further Resources:
How the ‘Impossible‘ is Made Possible (LinkedIn Article)