There’s a story that occurs constantly in the biographies of many creative and brilliant people. It goes something like this: As a kid they had a question—maybe it was about how car engines work, or what Antarctica is like. It doesn’t matter if the question is about history or science or animals, because their dads all had the same response. They said, “I don’t know, but let’s go figure it out!” So they went to the library or the hardware store or the computer and they dug around and they found the answer.
What this experience did was instill the young versions of these notable figures with a few essential lessons that set them on their paths: 1) their fathers actually listened and cared; 2) curiosity is the starting point of a great adventure; and 3) there are places, like the library or the internet or some wise old neighbor, where answers can be found. Most importantly though, they learned something well-expressed in the title of Marie Forleo’s book: they learned that “Everything is Figureoutable.” Problems can be solved. Ignorance can be eliminated. Answers can be tracked down. The unknown can be made familiar. Things can be discovered.
Your job is to teach that. Today and every day. It’s to actually listen to their questions…and then help them find the answers. That doesn’t mean give them the answers. It means teaching them how to figure things out for themselves. Teach them to love the process. Teach them to get excited about it. Teach them to head to the library or the laptop, the telephone, or their science teacher.
Everything is figureoutable. Big and small. But it takes someone to help them figure that out. It takes you.
You’re here because you yourself are eager to learn more every day—about parenting and raising great kids. You yourself are modeling lifelong learning and curiosity for your kids in ways you might not even realize.
Encourage them to ask questions, and let them see you asking questions yourself. Encourage them to read—or read to them—and let them see you reading yourself.
“Pass everything through a sieve,” said the French philosopher Montaigne about how to educate a child, “and lodge nothing in his head on mere authority or trust.” (the story and lessons of Montaigne’s unique education are featured in Wisdom Takes Work FYI—preorder it here.)
Learning is a lifelong endeavor, and the discovery of new things not only excites us, but makes us wiser. It makes us better at navigating life, making choices, and even knowing ourselves better.
To help you on your way to nurturing your child’s curiosity and sparking lifelong learning—and if you find this conversation worth diving deeper into—please consider preordering Wisdom Takes Work, the final book in the Four Virtues series, which comes out on October 21, 2025.
If you want to build a life filled with wisdom and understanding, if you want to model true curiosity for your children, Wisdom Takes Work provides the blueprint.
You can preorder Wisdom Takes Work here now. We’ve also put together some exciting bonuses to thank you for preordering, because it makes such a difference to authors and independent bookstores when you do!
Learn more and claim your copy of Wisdom Takes Work at dailystoic.com/wisdom today!
