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\u201cThe true scientist never loses the faculty of amazement\u201d (Hans Selye).<\/p>\n
WE USE THE WORD \u201cAMAZEMENT\u201d IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN IT WAS ORIGINALLY USED. In its older sense, amazement meant bewilderment or perplexity (the feeling you\u2019d have if you were lost in a cornfield \u201cmaze\u201d or labyrinth). Shakespeare used the word this way in Act IV of King John:<\/em> \u201cI am amaz\u2019d, methinks, and lose my way \/ Among the thorns and dangers of the world.\u201d Today, however, to be amazed means to be in a state of extreme surprise or wonder. Most of us already know that, but is there anything about this word that would make it a good word to meditate on? I think there is.<\/p>\n There is some value and virtue in keeping our hearts open enough that we can be amazed. If we\u2019ve seen so much, or perhaps grown so tired, that nothing amazes us anymore, then I believe we\u2019ve suffered a sad loss. As far as the objective reality around us is concerned, there is very much in the world to be amazed at. (Remember And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street<\/em> by Dr. Seuss?) Several times a day, most of us encounter something that should fill us with surprise and wonder. If our antennas are not up, however, the astonishing qualities of these things will be lost on us.<\/p>\n I would even go so far as to say that being amazed in the older sense is beneficial, at least once in a while. Many of us have gotten so confident in our modernity that it would do us good to suffer some occasional bewilderment or perplexity. It\u2019s healthy to get lost in a \u201cmaze\u201d now and then \u2014 and thus be reminded of our fallibility.<\/p>\n Amazement is undoubtedly one of the keys to learning. As Hans Selye said, \u201cThe true scientist never loses the faculty of amazement.\u201d We should keep our childhood curiosity and sense of wonder as long as we can. When we lose it, we quit learning new and useful things.<\/p>\n Beyond the learning value of amazement, however, we are simply healthier, more interesting people when there is some amazement in our lives. If I could choose only one life to live, I\u2019d rather be a country bumpkin any day, easily and enjoyably amazed at the simplest of things, than to be a sophisticated man-about-town who\u2019s outlived his enthusiasm for the wonders of the everyday world.<\/p>\n As Tammie glow\u2019red, amazed and curious, Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n
The mirth and fun grew fast and furious.
(Robert Burns)<\/p>\n