The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-09-21
NO. 38
INQUISITIVENESS.

Whether inqisitiveness is to be rated
as a virtue or vice depends very
much upon its purpose and upon the
extent of it's exhibition. 1t is quite
commcndable in the young who are
simply seeking useful information; it
is impertnent in the mature who are
trying to crafty their curiosity or to
find food for gossip.
Children are sometimes encouraged
to ask questions in an aimless way
and become nuisances because of their
inquisitiveness, although the child who
asks questions intelligently and for the
purl o ;e Of acquiring knowledge is in
teresting and deserves the encourage
ment of answers and explanations.
The inquisitiveness of the gossip and
meddler is of very different kind, and
is always offensive. The meddler gos-
sip does not seek useful information
and may not intend any harm; some
times he or she asks questions with no
aim whatever, but simply as matter
of habit to maintain conversation.
More often, however, the inquisitive
person of mature years is malicious
gossip. That which he or she learns
is repeated, with variations; sometimes
with the purpose, always with the et-
feet, of creating controversies and en-
broiling mutual friends. The most
trivial matters are made the subject of
exhaustive inquiry; if two accounts do
not exactly agree, attention is called
that someone has told an untruth. In
such cases matter of no Importance,
one way or another, is magnified until
it is made cause for serious dispute.
Inquisitiveness of this kind is extreme
ly reprehensible. 1t is generally ma
licious, but where it has no bad pur-
pose it is no less malevolent in its ef
feet. This form Of inquisitiveness is
generally, in part at least, the result
of habit and can be avoided by anyone
who is disposed to do SO.
The inquisitiveness of the child or of
the uninformed seeking useful knowl-
edge deserves to be encouraged as long
as it is legitimately exercised for good
purposes. The inquisitiveness of the
malicious gossip should never be salts
fed. The individual should also keep
guard upon himself, that he may not
grow into the habit of asking aimless
or awkward questions, or of seeking
information for which he can have no
proper use. He will thus avoid be-
coming an idle or malicious gossip,
and will keep his mind free Of trivial
matters and open to receive useful in
formation. There is good reason to
believe that the mind of man is Of linn
tied capacity. Whether it be of pint
or Of quart capacity, it can retain only
a certain amonnt of impressions. 1t
is well, therefore, to select the matter
with which it is to be filed.
The man who knows all the gossip
Of his neighborhood, the private af-
fairs Of his acquaintance the age of
all his friends, the scandals of society,
and so on, seldom exhibits any other
knowledge. He has filed his mind
with trivialties, misusing the inquisi-
tive faculty. He is Paul Pry, and,
as such, despised of all men. But in
quisitiveness properly employed in
moderation may be used to add to
ones useful information; it is the chief
stimulus to scientific achievement.
Men ought to ask questions of their
own fellow-men and of nature, but on
ly to acquire Legitimate information,
and with a good purpose.-BaAtmore
Sun.