“Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must listen to my life and try to understand what it is truly about-quite apart from what I would like it to be about-or my life will never represent anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.”
Parker J. Palmer
Audio narration by David Marlow
Definition.
Zetetic (n and adj.)
ze·tet·ic /zəˈtedik/
1: As an adjective meaning proceeding by inquiry
2: As a noun meaning a skeptic, seeker, a philosopher
An individual who approaches life with unbridled curiosity and an unwavering commitment to exploration and learning.
The origin dates from the 1640s. In Modern Latin, from zeteticus "proceeding by inquiry,"and from Greek zetetikos "searching, inquiring," from zetetos, verbal adjective of zetein "seek for, inquire into.”
Trends of use for zetetic
Image source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Risk
Author Parker Palmer's wisdom reminds us that a zetetic curiosity, without love, is a journey that may ultimately lead us astray.
A relentless thirst for knowledge, divorced from a love for learning and respect for others, can become a perilous journey about seeking control.
This dark side of a zetetic curiosity manifests as ambition over ethics, driving a pursuit of power.
To avoid these risks, infuse your curiosity with love, empathy, and ethical consideration, focused on living a purpose-driven life.
Opportunity🌀
A zetetic approach, guided by an insatiable curiosity based on love rather than power or control, unveils a world of extraordinary possibilities.
It's a journey of self-discovery that fosters not only personal growth but also relationships and interactions that are meaningful, respectful, and enriching.
As you embrace a zetetic approach, your achievements have a richer, purpose-driven significance.
This path of curiosity is one of harmony. Through this values-based lens, your exploration becomes a force for good.
Story
As human beings, we are naturally curious. We seek knowledge which, before reading Parker Palmer’s book ‘To Know as We Are Known,’ I would have thought was universally a good thing.
There are two reasons for wanting to gain knowledge. One is based in love, a genuine curiosity to understand, and the other in power. To understand so that we can control circumstances or outcomes.
This difference manifested visibly in my early consulting days.
I would meet with a client armed with what I thought was a noble curiosity. Skilled in empathy interviewing and design principles, I sought to uncover what they needed even if they didn’t know it themselves.
I lost a lot of clients back then, and it puzzled me because I knew I could help them.
A friend and mentor helped me realize it was because my curiosity, though genuine, was focused on gaining control through identifying and delivering what they needed.
It was about my success, even if that success came from delivering something valuable to the client.
Taking his advice, I began seeking to understand the client by getting to know them.
Zetetic curiosity allowed me to see the person or people first. No agenda or judgment.
When my focus was on love in the sense of connecting rather than control or power, everything changed.
It wasn’t that I was totally focused on making a sale, which turned them off because I wasn’t. I sincerely believed I could help them.
The problem was the root ethics of my otherwise good intention was power and not love.
It is no small irony that when I dropped trying to control the situation, I could do what my heart wanted to do…help them.
Application.
To embody a zetetic approach, focus on the following:
Origin and Core Intentions: Trace the roots of your curiosity. Are you propelled by a love for knowledge or the need for control over outcomes? Understand your core intentions.
Emotional Resonance: Recognize the emotions tied to your curiosity. Does it inspire wonder, connection, and fulfillment, or does it occasionally emerge from a desire for power?
Alignment with Values: Reflect on how your curiosity aligns with your core values. Does it consistently resonate with openness, collaboration, and exploration, or does it sometimes veer toward control?
Embrace Humility: Our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance is necessarily infinite.1 Embracing humility means understanding how little we know and the value of learning from others.
🌀Reflection.
Here are three additional areas where you can go deeper into the concept of zetetic inquiry.
Which specific zetetic ideas do you find most relevant? How might they help you uncover your Ikigai?
Think about curiosity and its "dark side," as mentioned in the article and my personal story. How might you ensure your curiosity is driven by a genuine desire for self-discovery and growth rather than a quest for power or control?
How might embracing humility and cultivating an exploratory spirit help you uncover your purpose?
🌀 Remember: No matter what has come before, today is a fresh start. 🌱
Let’s make things a little bit better. 🌱
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“The more we learn about the world, and the deeper our learning, the more conscious, clear, and well-defined will be our knowledge of what we do not know, our knowledge of our ignorance. The main source of our ignorance lies in the fact that our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite.”
Karl Popper
Thank you for my new favorite word!