What Do We Lose When We Stop Learning How Things Work?
What Do We Lose When We Stop Learning How Things Work? Rediscovering the Value of Curiosity in a Push-Button World When we stop learning how things work, we start losing more than just knowledge. We lose agency, adaptability, and the capacity for critical thought. In today’s world, where everything is optimized for ease, understanding how things work has become optional—and that’s a problem. This article explores the deeper consequences of losing our curiosity and offers a fresh take on why relearning the mechanics of our world is a powerful act of self-reliance and resilience. The Disappearance of Everyday Curiosity Once upon a time, people fixed their own bikes, rewired lamps, and opened up gadgets just to see what was inside. But in an era dominated by sealed devices, auto-updating software , and “smart” everything, our default approach has become passive. We press buttons. We swipe screens. But we rarely ask, “Why does this work?” When curiosity takes a backseat, so does under...