We haven't lost the ability to wonder. We simply don't want to.

"It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world"-Albert Knox

I think what Albert Knox is trying to say is that as we grow up, we simply accept the facts given to us about the world therefore we don't wonder about why things are the way it is now. We don't ask questions about the world anymore. We aren't curious about the world anymore. Although it seems reasonable to believe this, as it seems like it makes sense, I disagree with it. I think that as we grow up, we actually become more curious about the world and wonder about more things in this world rather than losing the ability to. This is because as we grow up, we learn more things about the world which lead to more questions about the world. As we have more questions, we naturally wonder about the world and ask ourselves questions trying to figure out the answer. Generally, most people won't do this but this doesn't mean we've lost the ability to. We still have the ability to wonder about the world, it only depends whether we want to or not.

What makes most people not wonder about the world is because nowadays, most children get into schools, focus on their education, graduating then getting into a good university. After that will be the obvious. Getting a job, getting married and keeping that job. Due to the environment the world has become, we have all been brought up to only learn for survival and trying to make it to the top end of the ladder. The media advertises it, the news advertises it as does the radio. In Hong Kong especially after the local students finish their exams there are discussions as to why the people this year got these results, who got the highest result and more. Even within KGV, this "making it to the top" idea also occurs. Every year, the names of the people who get into the top universities are listed to tell everyone in the school who they are and how successful they are. Nowadays, success is all we care about.

Since success has gotten into our heads, we think about how to be successful and we ask questions in order to become more successful. I think the people nowadays should learn to relax more, do some meditations to clear out their minds and just don't think about anything. This situation never occurs to anyone within the industrial cities of the world. Even when business people come home to 'relax' on their massaging chairs, 2 seconds later they could be saying "Oh no! I forgot to call (whoever) and tell him about the meeting tomorrow". This isn't relaxing and proves that people nowadays cannot relax without thinking about their work or fun. Even for me, before I sleep, it is hard to clear my mind and think about nothing. I could be worrying about whether I've done my homework or not for tomorrow, whether I've packed my PE kit or not, whether I've packed the right books in my bag or not. I would definately not have the time to wonder, "How did the world get here? Has it always existed? Why am I here?"

The main reason for us not to wonder about the world is because of the world we're in now. We have the ability to, but we just somehow don't want to. When comparing the 2 questions, obviously questions related to success seems more important than how the world got here, for now. But as we grow up and become older, we start to realise that we're going to die soon, we'll start to wonder, why did we live on Earth? What happens after we die? Has the world always been here? Will I go to heaven? That's why I believe that we do not LOSE the ability to wonder about the world. It's more the fact that we're too lazy to do so because we don't care as much for the world now as it has improved as technology improves. There is no need to worry about the world since we believe it will stay like this forever. But within the recent century, humans have discovered that the world will not stay like this forever, we're running out of resources and eventually there won't be enough to survive. Due to this, humans have actually started to worry about the world and wonder what will happen after the resources run out or why did the earth become like this? Resources running out may be a bad thing but to philosophers it may be good as more people now wonder about the world and care about it.