Jony Ive explains why curiosity is fundamental to creating

Perhaps the most important thing I can share with you today is about curiosity. Being truly open, inquisitive, and curious has become the very basis for all that I do and how I think. Having a genuine relish for being surprised and for learning is fundamental to creating. Many of us have a natural or innate predisposition to be curious, though I have learned that after a traditional education or working in an environment with many people, it has to be a decision. It requires intent and discipline. In interactions with larger groups, many of us gravitate towards the tangible and the measurable. It is more comfortable, far easier, and more socially acceptable to talk about what is known. Of course, being curious fuels our appetite to learn, and wanting to learn is far more important than being right. Curiosity can unite us and form the basis for powerful and joyful collaborations. And crucially, the delight and joy of curiosity and learning can temper our fear of doing something completely new. Lastly, one of the wonderful consequences of being open is that you find yourself actually listening. To listen well means you need to be quiet. Great ideas can come from the quietest voice, and I really worry how many good ideas I have missed because I wasn't listening or I couldn't hear a thing for the usual deluge of opinion. I think it would be great to resist the urge to fill every moment of every minute with opinions and to listen.