November 22, 2022

Elon Musk cites 'obsessive curiosity' as most important daily habit

Recently, the G20 Summit took place in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. Nadiem Makarim, the Indonesian Minister of Education, openly voiced the critical importance of education. And, as part of the summit, Makarim got the opportunity to discuss education with Tesla CEO Elon Musk via video call.

Source: KEMENDIKBUD RI

As reported in Vatican News, "Musk stressed the importance of establishing the relevance of what we learn instead of just [experiencing] learning as a mental obstacle course. He said that critical thinking must be taught early in education as it helps to create some sort of 'firewall' against false concepts."

When asked about his approach to learning, Musk encouraged students to “aspire to be less wrong over time” and to seek critical feedback in their search for knowledge. He cautioned against an attitude of "always being right" and, in turn, always seeking to prove you are right to others.

In addition, Musk emphasized the importance of physics as a critical learning tool in order to seek truth — going back to first principles as “physics is the law and everything else is a recommendation.”

What I found most fascinating was his response to a question regarding the daily habit that made Musk "who he is today" according to a woman who asked the question in the audience.

"In terms of a day-to-day habit, I think being curious about the world and how the world works — curious about everything really... I think curiosity is an extremely important thing to have. And [we need] to be somewhat obsessive about that curiosity. Probably obsessive curiosity is the number one thing," explained Musk.

Musk also answered some probing questions about failure, fear, and dealing with so many naysayers. He gave poignant insights into his thought process surrounding education and learning. And, although the interview was short, I found it to be fascinating and quite revealing.

If you haven't had a chance to view the video yet, you can check it out below.