A guy at the library told me asking 'anything' is a waste of time

I was at the main branch downtown last Tuesday, looking for a book on old radios. This older man saw me and asked what I was after. I told him I was just curious, you know, asking anything that came to mind. He got real serious and said, 'That's the problem. You can't just ask anything. You need a focused question or you'll never learn.' He said it took him 40 years to learn that. I just nodded, but I really don't agree. Sometimes the best stuff comes from a random, open question. Has anyone else had someone push back on the whole idea of just being curious?

3 comments

3 Comments

blakefox2mo ago

Man, that guy sounds like he sucked all the fun out of the room. Some of the coolest things I've ever learned started with me just wandering around a topic with no real goal. Maybe his way works for him, but telling someone their curiosity is a waste is just plain wrong.

uma_patel182mo ago

Yeah but @blakefox, sometimes you need a goal to get anywhere, right?

abby8361mo ago

Honestly, why do people act like having a goal is the only way to do anything right? Blakefox is totally onto something about how cool stuff comes from just messing around. I see this all the time where people treat curiosity like it's a waste of time if it doesn't lead to a clear finish line. It just kills the fun of learning anything new. Tbh that mindset is why so many hobbies feel like a second job now.