The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-08
INou1s1T1vENEss.

Whether inquisitiveness is to be
rated as virtue or a vice depends
very much upon its purpose and upon
the extent of its exhibition. 1t is
quite commendable in the young who
are simply seeking useful informa-
ton; it is impertinent in the mature
who are trying to crafty their curl
osity 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
encouragement Of answers and expla-
nations. The inquisitiveness of the
gossip and meddler is of a very differ
ent kind, and is always offensive.
The meddler gossip does not seek USE
full information and may not intend
any harm sometimes he or she asks
questions with no aim whatever, but
simply as matter of bad habit and to
maintain a conversation. More often,
however, the inquisitive person of
mature years is malicious gossip.
That which he or she learns is repeat
ed, with variations sometimes with
the purpose, always with the effect,
of creating controversies and embroil-
ing mutual friends. The most trivial
matters are made the subject of ex-
haustive inquiry; if two accounts do
not exactly agree, attention is called
to the variations, with implications
that someone has told an untruth.
In such cases matter of no impor-
tance, one way or another, is magni-
fed until it is made cause for serious
dispute. Inquisitiveness of this kind
is extremely reprehensible. 1t is gen.
orally malicious, but where it has no
bad purpose it is no less nalevolent
in its effect. This form of inquisi-
tiveness 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 uniformed seeking useful
knowledge deserves to be encouraged
as long as it is 1egitimately exercised
for good purposes. The inquisitive-
ness of the malicious gossip should
never be satisfied. The individual
should also keep guard upon himself,
that he may not grow into the habit
of asking aimless or awkward ques-
tions, or Of seeking information for
which he can have no proper use.
He will thus avoid becoming an idle
or malicious gossip, and he will keep
his mind free of trivial matters and
open to receive useful information.
There is good reason to believe that
the mind of man is of limited capaci-
ty. Whether it be of pint or of quart
capacity, it can retain only certain
amount of impressions. It is well,
therefore, to select the matter with
which it is to be filled.
The man who knows all the gossip
of his neighborhood, the private af-
fairs of his acquaintance, the age oi
all his friends, the scandals of society,
and so on, seldom exhibits any other
knowledge. He has filled his mind
with trivialities, misusing the inquisi-
tive faculty. He is Paul Pry, and,
as such, depised of all men. But in
quisitiveness properly employed il
moderation may be used to add tc
ones useful information; it is the
chief stimulus to scientific achieve
ment. Men ought to ask question:
of their fellow-men and of nature, but
only to acquire legitimate informa
ton, and with a good purpose. BAL
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