December 16, 2024
By Aleta Margolis, Founder and President
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Merriam-Webster has just named Polarization the 2024 word of the year, stating, “Polarization means that we are trending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
I get it.
Polarization happens when something pits us against one another, and we retreat to the safety of our own corners. The highly emotional presidential election; the fear of being attacked for one’s views or one’s identity; and the social media algorithms that lead us into echo chambers all help to divide us.
Polarization happens when something pushes us apart, and we become certain that, in order for us to be right, they have to be wrong – no questions asked.
However, we’re all born with a natural tendency toward actively engaging with things we don’t yet understand. Consider the infant whose curiosity about the world around her is so strong, she puts everything she comes across into her mouth in an effort to learn more. Or the toddler, who goes through a (seemingly endless) phase of asking “Why?” until he receives an answer he deems satisfactory — at which point he embarks on a new series of questions on a new topic.
Too often, this kind of curiosity begins and ends in early childhood. As school children, our days and how we spend them tend to be scheduled for us; as adults, our jobs, families, and daily responsibilities can crowd out space for curiosity.
Yet research shows that being curious has benefits that extend beyond understanding “why.” Being curious leads to increased happiness, more success in the workplace, and a greater willingness to engage with different perspectives. Infusing curiosity into our lives is good for us. It’s also an effective antidote to polarization.
What would it take to make Curiosity the word of the year in 2025?
It would take Inspired Teachers stoking children’s natural curiosity – about math and science and history and literature and the arts and civics – and other people.
Fortunately, Inspired Teaching is on the job!
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