What’s the Matter
What’s the Matter? is a bi-weekly feature exploring quotes and ideas that help us focus on what truly matters – each one of us and our collective learning and growth. Each week, we’ll examine perspectives that challenge conventional thinking and invite deeper engagement with the transformative power of education and the mattering movement.
Students Matter, Educators Matter, and People Matter
The Holy Curiosity of Learning
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”
— Albert Einstein (LIFE Magazine, May 2, 1955)
Einstein’s final interview, published shortly after his death, reminds us what truly matters in learning: the preservation of wonder itself. His call to maintain “holy curiosity” suggests that genuine education begins not with compliance to established methods, but with reverence for the questioning spirit that drives all meaningful discovery. This matters because your curiosity matters—your unique way of wondering about the world brings something irreplaceable to every learning community.
When we honor that each person’s questions and perspectives have inherent value, we create space where everyone can experience that they matter. This aligns powerfully with Peter Block’s insight that “all consciousness begins with an act of disobedience”—your willingness to question, to see differently, to voice what others might not, is not just valuable but essential for transformative learning.
Scaffolding Ideas for Matter-Focused Learning
- Move Beyond Opinions to Underlying Meaning Replace traditional debate structures with deeper inquiry that honors each person’s significance. When learners express different viewpoints, guide the conversation beyond surface positions by asking, “Why does that matter to you so much?” Block reminds us that the deeper we go into understanding what gives meaning to each person’s perspective, the more we affirm that their inner world and experiences matter. This approach transforms learning from a competition of ideas to a recognition that every learner brings essential wisdom.
- Create Context for Forward Movement Through Mutual Mattering Structure learning conversations around generative questions that affirm each person’s value: “Is there anything we want to create together?” and “What can I do to support what matters most to you?” These questions, drawn from Block’s framework, communicate that your contributions matter, your needs matter, and your growth matters to the whole community. They shift the focus from proving individual worth to building environments where everyone experiences that they belong.
- Design for Sacred Questions That Honor Each Voice Begin learning experiences by inviting learners to voice their genuine questions, even those that challenge conventional approaches. Create space where every question is received as a gift because it represents someone’s authentic curiosity. When you ask a question—no matter how different or challenging—you matter. Your wondering contributes something unique that no one else can offer. As Block suggests, saying “No” or expressing dissent becomes the beginning of deeper conversations that honor the questioner’s significance.
- Honor the Transformative Power of “You Matter” Even in “Nothing” Recognize that sometimes the answer to “What can we create together?” may be “nothing”—and that your honest response matters too. Block teaches us that the effort to go deeper and engage these questions creates “a crack in the wall” of established thinking. Even when you can’t contribute what others expect, your authentic presence and honest engagement matter. Your willingness to show up as yourself, to say what’s true for you, opens possibilities for consciousness and learning that weren’t previously available.
Sources:
- Einstein quote: William Miller interview, LIFE Magazine, May 2, 1955 (verified by Quote Investigator)
- Block, Peter. “Tattoos of the Mind – August,” Designed Learning, https://designedlearning.com/tattoos-of-the-mind-2/
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