Choose a topic from Part 2B:
(d) he may seek knowledge from unlawful sources, as fromdemons;
(e) he may seek creatural knowledge without referring whathe knows to God; (f) he may foolishly risk error by trying tomaster what is beyond his capacity.
1. Curiosity, in our present use of the word, is the vice whichstands opposed to studiousness. Curiosity throws aside themoderating influence of studiousness, and disposes man toinordinateness in seeking knowledge. This inordinateness appears ina variety of ways. Thus: (a) a man may seek knowledge to take pridein it; (b) he may seek to know how to sin; (c) he may seek uselessknowledge and waste effort which should be expended in learningwhat he needs to know;
2. Curiosity appears also in the order of sense-knowledge.Inordinateness here appears in an excessive love of sight-seeing;of neglecting study to gaze idly on a meaningless spectacle; oflooking needlessly on what may occasion evil thoughts; of observingthe actions of others to criticize and condemn them, and so on. If,however, one is intent upon material things in an ordinate way(that is. in a way that accords with reason) one exercisesstudiousness, not curiosity, even in the order ofsense-knowing.
"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"He who wishes to be perfectly obeyed, should give but few orders."
St Philip Neri
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"As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported by prayers"
St Augustine
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