On any given weekend, Krista and I will be out on a date and she will hear those fateful words: “I’m taking a shortcut.” Unfortunately, my shortcuts aren’t always short, and sometimes they require a complete U-turn to retrace my steps.

However, the reason I know a few shortcuts is because I can’t stand an untraveled path for very long. At some point, my curiosity gets the best of me and I have to see where a road leads. I cannot quiet this voice inside which tells me to “see what is out there” and to “try something new.” Sometimes I don’t discover much, and other times I find that the road less traveled is the one most worth taking.

Like anything we want to excel in, it takes time to develop a curiosity that is strong enough to withstand the cynics who play it safe and want others to do the same. Seth Godin, a marketing guru, has made a living on his curiosity as he perpetually looks for new ways of speaking, doing, and thinking. Godin says that learning to explore new paths is a “5 or 10 or 15 year process where people start finding their voice, and they start realizing that the safest thing they can do feels risky, and the riskiest thing they can do is play it safe.”

Enjoy this short video where Godin discusses the significance of curiosity, starting with a profound contrast with fundamentalism.

The video was produced by Nic Askew. Also see Seth Godin’s blog. If you want to check out Godin’s books, I recommend starting with Purple Cow.