Journey Toward Knowing: Curiosity, Socrates, and AI

The Itch of Curiosity That Won’t Let Us Rest

At 2 a.m., relying on the glow of your smartphone, you start searching about ‘black holes,’ then drift to ‘ancient Roman baths,’ and end up on ‘rare cereal commercials’—sounds familiar, right? This insatiable thirst for knowing is one of humanity’s most fundamental traits. This article delves deeply into the great human journey toward knowledge from biological, philosophical, and technological perspectives.

• A neuroscientific understanding of why humans instinctively want to know things
• The differences between information, knowledge, and wisdom, and the process of reaching true knowing
• The crisis of knowing we face in the Google and AI era and ways to cope

1. The Explorer’s Brain: Why Do We Ask “Why?”

Our desire to know something is not just an intellectual preference but a biological command deeply embedded in the brain.

The Biology of Curiosity: Dopamine and Neuroplasticity

At the core is the neurotransmitter dopamine. When we discover something new or realize a previously unknown fact, the brain releases dopamine, giving us a sense of satisfaction. This pleasure drives us to crave new knowledge continuously. A brain that has tasted the joy of knowing keeps wanting more.

Learning with curiosity carves new paths in the brain thanks to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change its connections based on experience and learning. In other words, curiosity is the best exercise for the brain. This mechanism was directly linked to the survival of our ancestors, who needed to explore which fruits were safe and where predators lurked.

The “Dark” Side of Curiosity: Gossip and Supernormal Stimuli

However, the desire to know doesn’t always lead to noble ends. Our attraction to rumors about others’ weaknesses, or gossip, stems from an instinct to gauge our social standing and find psychological stability through comparison.

The problem today is the internet environment. Every smartphone notification and new social media post acts as a supernormal stimulus that continuously supplies low-cost, high-frequency dopamine hits to our brains. Our curiosity circuits, evolved for survival, are now manipulated to become addicted not to meaningful discoveries but to the search for superficial stimuli itself.

2. Two Great Inquiries: The Outer and Inner Universes

The journey toward knowing advances in two directions: exploring the external world and looking inward.

First Inquiry: Understanding the World Outside Me

Stable communities require order and rules—morality. Knowing what is right and wrong is directly linked to social survival. Scientific inquiry is no different.

But in this process, we realize the imperfection of our senses. A prime example is the optical illusion. Just as the brain “interprets” a receding car as getting smaller rather than simply moving away, the world we see is a reconstruction by the brain. The realization that the world I see may not be objective reality is the starting point of all scientific and philosophical inquiry.

Second Inquiry: The Inner Journey—“Know Thyself”

The philosopher who opened the door to great inner inquiry was Socrates. His famous phrase “Know thyself (γνῶθι σεαυτόν)” carries two profound meanings.

First, it means “Know your own ignorance.” Socrates realized he was wiser than those who mistakenly thought they knew because he was aware of his own ignorance. This is the teaching of “the wisdom of ignorance,” that true knowing begins with recognizing one’s own limitations.

Second, it is a call to look inward at one’s “soul.” Through our inner “reason,” self-awareness—reflecting on our emotions, desires, and values—is essential for a happy life.

Interestingly, modern search engines invert this process. While Socrates’ wisdom began with the humble confession “I do not know,” modern knowing often starts with the illusion “I can search.” Getting answers immediately skips the most critical step where true reflection and critical thinking occur.

3. The Maze of Knowing: From Information to Wisdom

The word “know” has complex layers. Knowing is a process moving from information to knowledge, and then to wisdom.

• Information: Raw, unprocessed data. Facts like “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
• Knowledge: Information organized systematically within context. Explaining why water boils at 100 degrees in relation to atmospheric pressure.
• Wisdom: The ability to apply knowledge with experience and value judgment in life. Using boiling water safely to purify water while considering wildfire risks.

True “knowing” becomes living wisdom when theoretical knowledge undergoes the tempering of experience. The film The Book of Fish shows Jeong Yak-jeon observing fish directly and writing, illustrating how knowledge becomes alive when it meets experience.

Stages of Knowing

4. Ghost in the Machine: ‘Knowing’ in the Google and AI Era

The abundance of information paradoxically threatens our ‘knowing.’ Are we thinking more shallowly rather than more deeply?

The ‘Google Effect’ and Digital Amnesia

The ‘Google Effect’ refers to the phenomenon where the brain doesn’t bother storing information because it can be looked up anytime. The internet has become a massive ’external memory.’ More seriously, constant notifications and hyperlinks train our brains to be distracted, reducing our capacity for deep thinking.

New Challenges Posed by AI

The emergence of generative AI like ChatGPT has escalated this issue. According to MIT research, groups using ChatGPT showed weaker neural activity than those relying solely on their brains and even had poor recall of their own writing. This shows we are outsourcing not just information retrieval but the cognitive process of structuring thought itself.

Ultimately, our role in modern society is shifting from ‘discoverers’ of information to its ‘verifiers.’ Ironically, critical verification skills develop through deep thinking, yet the technologies we rely on undermine the foundation of those skills—a profound dilemma.

How to Wisely Pursue Knowing in the Digital Age

We cannot reject technology. Instead, we need the wisdom to consciously master and use it.

1. Embrace “productive ignorance”: Like Socrates, wrestle with questions thoroughly before searching for answers. This is the best training for independent thinking.
2. Make time for deep reflection: Intentionally disconnect from digital devices to create intellectual space for quietly organizing and reflecting on what you’ve learned.
3. Be the master of your tools: Use Google and AI as assistants that extend your thinking, not replace it. The final responsibility for judgment must always remain yours.

Conclusion: An Endless Journey

The human journey toward knowing began with the biological instinct of pleasure in discovery and has traversed great explorations of the external world and the inner self. Now, before the vast wave of digital technology, we seek new routes.

Key Takeaways:

• Curiosity is instinctive: Our brains are wired to release dopamine and feel pleasure when learning something new.
• True knowing starts within: As Socrates taught, wisdom begins with recognizing one’s ignorance.
• Technology is just a tool: The core skill in the digital age is not finding information but discerning its truth and thinking critically.

True knowing is an endless process that makes us more complete humans. That journey continues right now, at your fingertips. How about choosing a topic you’ve been curious about today and spending 30 minutes thinking it through yourself instead of immediately searching?