If the World is Uncertain, We Must Get Curious
In this episode of Walk the Walk, Scott McLarty, Head of School at Providence High School, addresses the profound truth that life is filled with uncertainties.
We live in an age that promises control, or at least a convincing imitation of it. Our phones tell us the weather, our watches track our hearts, our apps monitor our finances. AI can draft our emails, tidy up our calendars, act on our behalf in the real world, and even pretend to be our friend if we let it. Everything promises certainty, prediction, optimization. But for all that convenience, we still face the same truth people have always faced: we are not in control. And maybe the sooner we admit that, the freer we become.
Uncertainty is not a modern problem; it’s a human one. It has always been here, woven into the fabric of our world. The only thing that’s changed is our expectation that we should be able to eliminate or manage it. Our ancient forebearers knew uncertainty well. The stoics built an entire philosophy around the idea that uncertainty and adversity are necessary to live a virtuous and good life. “Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths.” So says Epictetus.
What if we shifted from controlling or limiting uncertainty, to learning from it and thriving in it. What if uncertainty is just another way of referring to the possible?
That’s where curiosity comes in.
If the world is uncertain, then as people of Providence, we must get curious.
Curiosity: The Antidote to Anxiety
Curiosity doesn’t make uncertainty go away, but it changes how we experience it. It turns fear into wonder, and anxiety into openness. Epictetus demonstrated the Stoic awareness of this when he wrote “People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.” Research from psychologist Todd Kashdan at George Mason University shows that curiosity improves emotional flexibility, the ability to adapt our mindset when life doesn’t go as planned. Curious people cope better with stress, bounce back faster, and report higher life satisfaction.
Kashdan distinguishes between types or dimensions of curiosity.
Whitecross & Smithson, 2023, show that people who maximize curiosity as joyous exploration thrive in uncertainty. Curiosity is both a joy in calm times and a strength for uncertain ones.
Curiosity is what keeps us open to others when it is easier to retreat and close off. It keeps us humble when we want to be right. It keeps us creative when we feel stuck.
At Providence, curiosity isn’t just an academic skill; it’s a spiritual posture. To be curious is to trust that truth is still unfolding. Curiosity honors the idea that God still speaks, and that wisdom often shows up through the questions we’re brave enough to ask.
Four Practices to Cultivate Curiosity
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Ask “What else might be true?”
When we find ourselves judging, assuming, or shutting down, this question reopens the door. It helps us remember that our first reaction isn’t the only reaction possible.
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Make friends with not knowing.
Neuroscientist Tania Lombrozo calls curiosity “a search for explanation.” The moment we admit, I don’t know, we create space for growth. Practice saying it aloud, especially in front of those who think we should know all of the answers (a.k.a. our kids, students, or employees). It models confidence, not weakness.
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Expose yourself to difference.
Seek out perspectives you don’t agree with. Read an opposing view. Talk with someone outside your comfort zone. Research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley shows that curiosity toward difference and “intergroup contact” increases empathy and lowers polarization.
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Follow your wonder, not your worry.
Psychologist Susan Engel ties curiosity to questioning and a desire to understand. “Like hunger motivates us to eat, curiosity motivates us to learn.” When we notice ourselves spiraling into what-if fears, we can redirect that energy toward a what-if question that builds possibility: What if this opens a door I haven’t seen before? What if what is happening to me is meant to introduce me to a new capacity or strength I didn’t know I had?
The Spiritual Dimension of Curiosity
For the Sisters of Providence, curiosity has always been an act of faith. Their trust in Providence didn’t come from certainty about the future, it came from confidence in God’s loving presence in the midst of uncertainty. Faith, after all, isn’t about knowing how things will turn out; it’s about trusting that we are not alone as we find our way.
That’s why one of our most meaningful word pairings is faith and curiosity. The two belong together. Faith without curiosity can become rigid; curiosity without faith can become rootless. But when they walk hand in hand, something sacred happens. We stay open to the mystery of God still unfolding in the world. We ask questions not because we doubt (though sometimes we do!), but because we believe there is always more to discover.
In a world that idolizes certainty, Providence invites us into something deeper: confidence without control, conviction without closure, and what we might call a sacred curiosity that keeps our hearts open and awake to the other and to the possible.
In short, curiosity helps us learn deeply, lead bravely, and live purposefully.
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Thanks for walking the walk.
—Scott McLarty