Curiosity Silenced the Uncurious Cat

Curiosity killed the cat or so the saying goes. What does this mean? Be careful. Don’t be curious. You just might get yourself hurt. Better to stay at home, safe and sound.

Except that’s not at all what the saying says. The full saying is:

“Curiosity killed the cat,
But satisfaction brought it back.”

Curiosity brings danger, uncertainty, and sometimes even death. But sometimes curiosity brings satisfaction. Curiosity requires risk, and risk is the potential for reward. Historically the people who have been the most rewarded are among those who took the greatest risks. (Of course, the ones who have been the most punished are also among those who took the greatest risks.) Wisdom, is the ability to discern which risks are worth taking.

Ironically, this saying has been used for over a hundred years to stunt wisdom, and risk taking, and curiosity! If only we were more curious to see the full saying, we would know what it actually says and means. The wisdom of past generations is hardly wise when it’s censored by the foolishness of moderns.

So let’s practice a little curiosity and dig just a little deeper now. Here’s the full excerpt:

You will find greater values here. We are told:
“Curiosity killed the cat,
But satisfaction brought it back.”
It is the same story with groceries.
“Prices will sell Groceries, but it is always finality that brings the buyer back.”

Bingo! Here we learn that prices sell groceries, but finality brings the buyer back. When we sell things, we should be considerate of the buyer. Sure, we can take the quick path, lower our prices, and get a ton of customers. This will even sell a lot, but at the end of the day, if your product is crap, the customer isn’t coming back. We also see some wisdom for us buyers. When we’re enticed by low prices, let’s ask ourselves, “Why is the price low? Is it because the quality is even lower?” The low price makes me curious to buy it. Maybe that curiosity will bring satisfaction¹, but maybe it won’t.

So here’s the wisdom I get from this whole thing: Be curious. And be extra skeptical of anyone who tells you not to be curious. While you’re at it, be extra curious of the wisdom of past generations. You just might learn something.