Curiosity Is a Superpower - If You Have the Courage to Use It | Big Think

Curiosity Is a Superpower - If You Have the Courage to Use It
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Hollywood producer Brian Grazer's grandmother changed his life when she told him curiosity would be his greatest attribute as long as he maintained the courage to use it. Grazer's latest book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, maps his life's journey of courage and curiosity.
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BRIAN GRAZER:
Academy Award-winning producer and NYT bestselling author Brian Grazer has been making movies and television programs for more than 25 years. Grazer’s films and TV shows have been nominated for a total of 43 Oscars and 152 Emmys. His films have generated over $13.5 billion in worldwide grosses. Grazer has been personally nominated for four Academy Awards, and in 2002 he won the Best Picture Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.
Other film credits include Get On Up, Rush, J. Edgar, Frost/Nixon, American Gangster, The Da Vinci Code, 8 Mile, Apollo 13, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Liar Liar, Backdraft, Parenthood, and Splash.
Grazer’s television productions include Fox’s breakout hit Empire, and Emmy award winning series 24 and Arrested Development; and NBC’s Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. Grazer also produced the 84th Annual Academy Awards show for ABC.
Grazer and his longtime friend and business partner Ron Howard founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986, which they continue to run together as chairmen.
His latest book is titled A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Brian Grazer: It began when I was a kid and my grandmother, grandma Sonya, probably about this high, said to me that curiosity would you be my greatest attribute and it would be a superpower in my life and all I had to do was just have the courage to use it. I remember looking at one of my report cards and it was basically all F's and she saying, "You're going to be special. You're going all the way." And she's telling me how great I'm going to be. But I'm looking at this report card in her presence and there was just no empirical evidence whatsoever to me that that would ever transpire. And then out of college I thought how can I apply this in a bigger way? And I had this one outstanding professor in my entire four years at USC and his name was Dr. Milton Wolpin, who was a graduate professor of abnormal psychology at USC. And I'm now two weeks out of college and I thought I want to get together with Dr. Milton Wolpin because I was just one of 300 kids in this class, and of course had never had a chance to really introduce myself.
So I pursued him unable to get this meeting, so I thought I'm just going to show up at school again and wait for him to leave his class. And he leaves his class and I say, "Dr. Wolpin, I would really like to just have 10 minutes, a coffee with you. I don't really have any big asks beyond that other than 10 minutes." He said, "But Brian haven't you already graduated?" And I said, "Well I have graduated, but I'd just love to have a coffee with you." Anyway he agreed. And I turned that 10 minutes, I expanded it into about an hour and a half conversation, which had greater value for sure than the year I spent in that classroom. And for over 30 years, actually about 35 years, I've been doing this every two weeks meeting a new person in any subject other than entertainment. So science, medicine, politics, religion, every art form. And I've just been doing it and it really has expanded my universe physically and mentally. It's created opportunities that I never even thought existed in my life or would exist. And so that's kind of the sense of the breadth of what I've been doing.
Hollywood producer Brian Grazer's grandmother changed his life when she told him curiosity would be his greatest attribute as long as he maintained the courage to use it. Grazer's latest book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, maps his life's journey of courage and curiosity.

[@HomeboyChris]

I never really think about putting a word to it, but curiosity is what it is when you dig a little deeper than everybody else.

[@urduib]

Homeboy Chris Or crawl to the end of the tunnel to get that wider perspective.

[@TheMaryam1891]

IT'S WANTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THINGS WORK RATHER THAN JUST KNOW INDIVIDUAL FACTS.

[@ducklife5711]

@@TheMaryam1891 YES THIS

[@supaflylob]

remember kids. always talk to strangers

[@leuna9]

Dominic Lobban Dio wouldn't agree.

[@supaflylob]

but sometimes they have candy though

[@calvinclark9478]

Who's Dio , you mean Dio Brando?

[@leuna9]

Ronnie James Dio

[@CuttinBlade]

Dominic Lobban Free Candy.

[@emperorlelouch5696]

Curiousity is my very core. I've researched things I've never imagined I would have and I don't regret it.

[@andrewbutler4822]

There is more to learning than just books and teachers, take the initiative to talk to people. It can be surprising how much you can learn from them.

[@MinergameRsxD]

For example, I'm from Brazil and I'm learning English and I enjoy playing Minecraft, so I invited some native English speaker to play with me, and then, He was happy and I learned English... STONKS

[@TheGuruNetOn]

Books ARE people. It's just that They are talking to You. If you are curious though you start asking questions and looking for answers with other books, people or other resources.

[@nickst0ne]

I meet new people everyday in KZbin comments. Curiosity is -depressing, revolting- a super power not for the faint of heart.

[@Crazylalalalala]

"I had this one outstanding professor in USC"... That one conversation "...had greater value, for sure, than the year I spend in that classroom." I believe that sums up my college experience as well. Great video again.

[@thefitnesschick4877]

I get kicked in the balls for being curious. Still don’t stop learning and wanting to know more.

[@jazmin6031]

I'm a Psychologist, 36 yo, Recruiter, and now formally a student of Front-End with almost an F in Javascript (but I passed!). I feel like a curious failure, but my curiosity is stronger, always has been. So, I feel curious and demoralized and then curious again, and so on. Life is tough

[@onlyininglish8500]

Curiosity indeed is a superpower, who have curiosity is in the next level.

[@Practiceofthepractice]

Wonderful message, thank you for sharing!

[@joseph-marienicolas5742]

Thank you very much for adding this episode. I reach over when I was searching the topic "how to create curiosity in my public speaking as well for advertising some products online". Kindly can you develop an episode on this particular topic? Since I still find an episode that suits me yet. (With examples)

[@WhitentonMike]

Note to self: Use fewer hair products as I get older.

[@Alphacentauri819]

Maybe it could be “note to self”…get curious as to why this guy has the hairstyle he does. You lost the whole point, by making a judgment, making it about you, and not having the inquiry to wonder as to the “why”? Why’s that?

[@ilsagita5257]

​@@Alphacentauri819yes I learnt about hair texture And elongation , baldness and a bit more here and there concepts to it Thanks for reminding me to stay curious

[@penniprater5571]

My goodness, did that guy put his finger in a live electrical socket? 😂

[@hungrymusicwolf]

Wonderful message I hope it gets spread a lot

[@urduib]

***** If all people did that, wars would dry out.

[@juliopires2882]

Fantastic video!

[@examine1525]

The best so far.

[@lin_atlas6046]

all of you in the comment section are really cool! continue to nurture your curiosity! it truly is what keeps me going

[@jasminecontreras7341]

Me too!!

[@chris_zanetti_manga_art]

Interesting video!

[@cdeadpoolblock1309]

hello, can I use this video? with your logo on of course, sharing videos about curiosity on one of my channels

[@LynnColorado]

Enjoyed the 'story'

[@vimal-cliobconsulting]

You could read books and watch videos on topics about things that you're curious about. In that way you'll find phenomenal mentors who are experts in their each fields.

[@farjanabanu7046]

Yes sir...I also have so much curiosity...some times it feels that why this question appears in my mind only....I wish if I get the helping professor just like u had in ur clg

[@NaiefThegoony]

But curiosity is pretty dangerous some times knowing something is bad cause it may scare you or maybe the information you got were private and you shouldn't have learned them or maybe you might even get yourself in danger

[@sapnanair6305]

That's why it not for the faint of heart!

[@Nimble.tkl1]

Love this guy's shirt.

[@paulmyatte0865]

He started put kinda good !! Then I thought maybe its me ?? Thank God for comments lmao

[@WargBlarg]

I totally agree... But the hair... the hair... the hair...

[@majormajor9618]

Was it good???

[@MohitTiwari-]

​@@majormajor9618heck yeah he's going super saiyan

[@1androo2]

... i just wanted to see the picture in the thumbnail... =(

[@beeeean]

Just wasted 2:34 I’m not getting back because of me being curious.

[@SolusBatty]

Curiosly,making the first comment is a superpower too. If you have the courage to use it. And are super-responsible!

[@xapemanx]

my hair kinda looks like that right now

[@aventurascomtadeu]

My Curiosity is...What's in otherside of that Doors? And Why I Made videos here in KZbin! It's Coz Im Curious. :)

[@veera2017]

Curiosityyyy I love this word

[@ssyyllvvaabb]

I am genuinely curious as to how you somehow end up with such a hairstyle in your life?

[@QuantumGuidegeneralemail]

We are very curious :)

[@onlyininglish8500]

Of course, if you have the courage to use it

[@NetiNeti25920]

What people did before podcasts blew up!

[@Stopstealingmynamesilovecheese]

Why do i feel like "curiousity" is gonna be everyones downfall

[@camukulkhatwani]

I am curious, "Why you choose to keep your hairstyle that!"

[@Curiousmercu]

Why not the entertainment though?

[@kamalkumarpande3774]

गुड

[@26hint]

It did expand his hair, that's for sure. Great speech however!

[@S1XxX777]

All Fs and he went to college what a plot twist

[@serolog2]

Sounds like a great mentor but a terrible teacher 😂

[@Rockduds-ee2se]

Like Podcasts

[@davidwong8731]

Tell us, first of all, what has curiosity done for you?

[@sarahkalonji2744]

Survival and reward system

[@LuckyLucky-rv6fq]

I didn't get that point what he is saying?

[@sarahkalonji2744]

He said meet strangers and talk to them and get fucked and angry on them for their opinion but don't react listen and judge

[@onlyininglish8500]

@mairovergara

[@beautifull3781]

The Pb is that I don’t care about everything

[@dupersuper1938]

Fear is also a super power. The Doctor said so.

[@X1ngL1ng]

#mairovergara \o

[@besthackintheworld8280]

Achei um Vergara

[@besthackintheworld8280]

Como está seu inglês hoje ?

[@grimsobad8545]

Whats up with the hair? Just curious

[@sarahkalonji2744]

People forgot to take care of them in the love of learning

[@MohitTiwari-]

He's like anime char

[@fcchannel6162]

so wait a minute his grandma told him he was gonna be special with no evidence hmm.

[@sarahkalonji2744]

She was just encouraging which is lacking in the world we only appreciate good people not help bad people get out of depression and work hard

[@hassanalinoo]

Who let the dogs out?

[@claudearmstrong9232]

Depending upon others for expanding one's knowledge developes bent reality. There is but one Source of eternal, unwavering intellect, and that is discovered in Original Hebfrew scripture. Search out that Source and all aligns in perfectly sane line of reality against which all else is measured and evaluated with unequivocal accuracy

[@hanskung3278]

What happened to your hair?

[@higldeepigldee]

Curiosity killed the cat.

[@amirulariffofficial8042]

*curiousity kill the cats*

[@MrNight-co4ed]

Don’t Be Stupid.