Today's soundtrack is Judas Priest: FIREPOWER.
This afternoon, I'm reading the second chapter of Mark Vernon's book Plato's Podcasts, "Sappho and the Art of Paying Attention."
Curiosity is an essential trait for man. Without it, we would not search for meaning. Without curiosity, we lose our motivation to live, but "to be curious about things is to cultivate a zest for life" (p. 10).
Vernon points out that a healthy balance is essential in our curiosity. Too much, and we turn restless and constantly dissatisfied; too little, and we lose our will to live. How can we know the right amount? Vernon directs us to the teachings of the Greek poet Sappho. Sappho says that curiosity is the art of paying attention. She "was able to pay such close attention to objects, bodies, and moods that she managed to imagine them in a different way" (p. 15), as if every time she saw something, she was seeing it anew. In this pure, fresh, view, Sappho was able to find "a creative, intellectual liberty" (p. 18), which she balanced with "humility, patience, and intelligence" (p. 11).