I’m not saying it’s anything to be proud of, but I’ve just genuinely never cared much about learning.
I learn what I have to to get by in the world. And I just learned things off by heart to get by in school and college, but I never cared about actually understanding the info beyond “knowing” it for the tests, or cared about the why or thought to look further into things. I just dc.
If I watch a documentary or hear/see something mildly interesting etc., I just go “huh cool” and don’t dig further or think about it anymore.
Are any of you the same?
Comments
What do you find interesting, or rather, what hobbies do you have that don’t involve passive consumption?
Also, do you vote?
This is probably the case for most people, it just reflects poorly to say it sometimes.
Edit: I’ve been thinking about this post more and more. Now I’ve concluded that humans have really overcomplicated their own existence. I’m not sure how much I relate to you, but it is really interesting how many people are trying to “help” you in the comments. I think it’s okay to just be content with what you have. I dont know what it’s like in Ireland but in the USA, it seems like you’re constantly pressured to be interested, but not too interested or totally uninterested.
Aren’t you afraid some slick cat will come along and totally hoodwink your simple ass? You play cards?
My curse is immense intellectual curiosity combined with low intelligence.
Ah sister it’s you…
I have intellectual curiosity about some things, but most others I only care enough to know the bare minimum to get by with. That said, curiosity for something that interests me often leads into other topics.
For example, mythology and language have a surprising amount in common. I know this because I love mythology and have an insatiable curiosity for it, while my interest in language is mostly an extension of my love for mythology.
Writing as well. It’s a hobby for me as it stands, but I love writing stories. Sometimes you have to go looking for inspiration or research something that’s inspired you for one reason or another. Other times inspiration strikes suddenly and I look for different ways to play with the same idea.
So what do you talk about in conversations with others?
Are you American by any chance?
I love learning. I wish I had the structure of school without the stress of pay and grades. I am incredibly curious about how the world around me functions, and beyond that I also love to study new subjects. I just don’t have the time and energy to constantly put forth to be learning.
How…how do you live like that? It sounds so incredibly boring. I literally have a hard time fathoming what it would be like to just not be interested in how the world/systems that surround us work. Aren’t you scared something will go wrong and you won’t know what’s going on or even have a notion of how to fix it? Granted I don’t think you’re alone in this as I’m pretty sure I’ve met people with the same mindset, it’s just kind of mind boggling to me.
I was that way until I was about 25. Now I’m a nerd.
Knowledge is knowing, and applying it is understanding.
Using it often is to master the knowledge learned.
It then comes full circle, then you teach and educate others.
Can’t relate at all. I’m curious about everything.
My husband is like this. He told me the only things he really cares to learn about are things I seem to care deeply about, because he cares about me, yet he often feels out of his depth because I seem to care about a lot of stuff and he doesn’t have that much bandwidth to engage with things. Stuff just… Doesn’t spark his curiosity. He’s not really interested in knowing or learning about things, only in being entertained and occasionally being entertaining (for me).
I am both blessed and cursed with ADHD hyper fixations where I will do deep dives on topics which make no real difference in my life. I end up researching and learning all I can until I lose interest and move onto the next topic without ever looking back and reflecting on things I’ve learned in the past. It’s pointless but in the moment, it feels like everything hinges on understanding it all. I waste a lot of time. Plus, I have a terrible memory so I can’t even use these deep dives to help me with trivia or anything lol.
I pretty much spend every waking moment and sometimes sleeping moments thinking and working on emerging tech
Plus if you don’t use it, you lose it so what’s the point
not hating, but I think it’s pretty impossible for the human brain to actually be like that not curious, there’s probably nuance and stuff I could explain but I don’t have the energy to explain it, which I’m guessing is your situations biggest factor
Okay, so hear me out.
The gummies are starting to kick in, so y’all gonna have to bear with me some. I’m not entirely sure if I’m remotely close to being within shouting distance of correct, but here goes.
In the past few years, I’ve been taking a harder look at neurodiversity. I was diagnosed ADHD back when I was still in short pants (and again in 2004 by the Army), but I never thought much about it. No one ever thought to mention to me that I might also be autistic, as well. I just went through life knowing I was different from everyone else and had no idea why.
Not long ago it was revealed that not all humans have an internal dialog, something I figured was normal. Turns out many people can’t really make vivid mental images in their heads. Like the aphantasia experiment.
Well that’s all got my inquisitive mind thinking….what if, despite being humans, we’re not all the same? Like horses and zebras: same family, very similar, but a zebra is not a striped horse. Does that make sense?
Same with humans. You and I are very much the same….similar organs, overall physical shape and features, similar physical abilities, etc. But fundamentally we couldn’t be more different.
I’m curious by nature, almost to a fault. If, when we die, we get to see our stats including specific word counts, “why” and “how” would be in my top 10 for sure (fuck’s in the top 3). Why did they do it like that? Why does that chemical make that other chemical change colors and singe my nose hairs? How does music go from being an organized pile of bits on a drive, to my phone, across Bluetooth, into my radio, through my signal wires, into my amplifier, and come out of a cardboard circle to my ears? How closely related are zebras to horses?
My Google search history is a SFW mess.
But how can we be so similar yet pretty much exist in two different worlds?
And we’re not unique. I’m finding lots and lots of people have similar natures to mine….and I’m also finding out lots of folks are like you, too. But there really aren’t any in the middle, it seems.
Help me out here, biology nerds. What is it when animals share a specific species but a different….breed, for lack of a better term?
My MIL. She wishes it was still the 1950s because she hates everything new.
I mean honestly a lot of people wouldn’t care to admit it but you’re perfectly normal, that’s my experience as a curious panda anyway,
Sounds like you have a good life. Don’t worry about it, you’re probably happier not being plagued with curiosity.
When I was young, all I cared about was the opposite sex. I’m post-menopausal now and I have a LOT of intellectual curiosity. Those hormones aren’t getting in the way anymore.
I’m exactly the opposite and remember going down the Wikipedia rabbit hole so many times. Now with AI it can be even worse.
no.
People stop u just watch social media n think they knows everything
Do you have the ability to go to sleep whenever you want? Do you have an inner monologue or dreams?
Are you the united states bc that would track.
Get curious.
Interesting. Can’t say I relate but I do want to understand your point of view. For academic prospects, we can complain about educational systems for a while. However, what about specific interests?
What excites you?
For me, I get really excited about particular characters in TV/games. I want to learn everything about them because I like them a lot. Then, I found out there were a lot of interviews for the cast in their native language. Following, I started learning that language! That niche interest transformed into an intellectual one.
This is why we have people who believe Canada is a part of United States
Cringe
I would say I’m the exact opposite of this.
As a teacher, I see several kids like this. It is hard for me to relate to, as I can’t stand an unanswered question. I teach in a way to instigate questions. We take time to wonder. I find it fascinating to see / wonder / probe why people are the way they are. Of course, my brain never shuts off. This is part of the reason I joined Reddit…
No, but I understand that some people are like that.
For me, I feel like I’ve always felt that of course I want to know everything. Why wouldn’t I? That’s obviously impossible, but I still try to accumulate as much knowledge as possible. That includes academic stuff, but also extends to me being nosy. I want to know why Alice got fired. I want to know why Bob broke up with Dylan. I just want to know! I don’t have to do anything with the knowledge, but I can’t do anything with it if I don’t have it.
Nah I’m always finding something interesting and digging Into it lol my curse is my once great memory fucked out after a seizure years ago..nuro plasticity is great tho 😆 I briefly dated a woman who had zero interest the arcane ended up thinking omg how is your brain content like that! I sometimes wish I didn’t know just enuf to screw me up lol
Trust me we are aware of you cause you probably have people correcting and teaching you everything you don’t learn yourself
Our relationship with learning is often shaped by our interactions with our early caregivers. Did your grownups value learning for the sake of learning? How were you received by them when you did good in school?
What are you interested in?
When I was in school, I felt like this. But eventually I found a real passion and I love to learn about it. Maybe you just haven’t found that thing to spark your interest yet?
You write really really well for somebody making such claims about themselves.
I’m the same, I think. I’m surprise how many people are reacting the way they are in the comments. I thought people like us were more common.
Then again, I’ve always felt that I’ve been less intellectual than some of the others in my life, so maybe my surprise is unwarranted.
I felt like that for a long time, probably because I hated school, classrooms, and being forced to learn things I had no interest in.
I like to learn now, but in my own way and on my own terms, and only things that interest me.
That’s really fucking sad dude
Ahh.. to live a life so simple and uncomplicated that I don’t need or want to know why or how about anything but what’s right in front of me.
Unfortunately for me intellectual curiosity and critical thinking are and have been a requirement for me to have any chance at a decent life.
What I appreciate most about this is that you’re honest about it. I do not enjoy arguing with people who think in 2 dimensions about 3 or 4 dimensional problems. The problematic version of you conflates their personal lack of curiosity or need for greater understanding as being the “truth.” Or, in other words, if someone is complicated or nuanced it must also be false or contrived.
If someone says to me that they don’t understand something but put a reasonable amount of trust in those who dedicate their lives to understanding it, then I don’t see any issue with them being uninterested in knowing more.
Unfortunately, many people who hate epistemology also tend to see themselves as being capable of developing an alternative expert opinion on basically everything.
OP, how old r u?
Judging by the state of the world, the majority of people are the same.