Proverbs for the 21st century: Lessons from the curious questioning cat

MODERN MINDSET

Do you have a questioning mind?
Most people have heard of the adage that curiosity killed the cat. This means if you question too much it could lead to bad results.

WHEN CURIOSITY IS GOOD
However, it is good to have a reasonable level of curiosity because one of the meanings of this word is eager to learn and we need to be eager to learn if we want to develop more.

NEW DEFINITION
Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb that has been around for over 500 years, but in the IT and Information age needs to be modified to suit the contemporary world.

OUT WITH THE OLD
The proverb - Curiosity killed the cat - needs a new definition for the 21st century. Curiosity killed the cat still works with an updated definition, namely curiosity taken to extremes may not be so good.

DOWNWARD SLIDE OF TOO MUCH CURIOSITY
Certainly extreme questioning within may lead to frustration, and extreme external questioning may feel like interrogation to those whom you are questioning. Thus, balance is key, and balance keeps our cat alive and purring too.

Curiosity powered the cat
We need a new high-powered proverb in the 21st century, and you should rev up your mindset with curiosity powered the cat.

UNDERSTANDING CURIOSITY
Curiosity includes the power to question, and to ask questions. Questioning powers the cat too. Thus the type of curiosity is to question. Great people have questioned throughout history and that is certainly one skill developed in the past that is timeless, and totally relevant today.

QUESTION QUEST
Both in our jobs and in our personal life a reasonable amount of curiousity adds interest, meaning and direction.

THE VALUE OF QUESTIONS
Questions are more valuable than answers. The question gets to the heart of a problem and the nub of the challenge. Questions get to the heart. For example, "Should I carry on with this job?" Only I (you) can answer that the most effectively. Thus if you ask yourself questions you can get the best answers for the situation facing you.

PROCESS
The question is the start of curiosity and part of the process of solving a challenging situation.

WELL CRAFTED
Unlike when people ask you questions – you can ask yourself as many questions as you would like and it may be that you can’t ask yourself too many questions. It is so easy to lead an unthinking, mindless life – which is the opposite of questioning and being curious.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Over time you will learn to ask the right number of questions and not too many questions.

Further you will have found an antidote for the unthinking, mindless state that many of the masses seem to exist in.

YOUR OWN MAN
When you ask your own questions, the answers are your own. Finding your own solutions is more satisfying and also means that your mindset is in the mode of always thinking more deeply.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. What do I want and why?
2. What am I doing this for and what is the good in this?
3. How am I going to get it?
4. Who will gain from my success?
5. What can I do to help?

PROVERBS FOR THE 21st century
1. Curiosity killed the cat: Don’t take questioning to extremes and thus this proverb still works for the 21st century.

2. Curiosity powers the cat: you function best when your mind is wired to question.

3. Questions made the cat: A questioning cat is an alive cat. Questions are key to greater success.

4. Practice makes perfect: a timeless proverb that is still relevant today.

The right amount of curiosity can produce a gold mine of information