Dr. Aaron D. Smith

Dr. Aaron D. Smith, serves as the Vice President and Dean for Student Development at the University of Lynchburg, in Virginia. In addition to a number of published works, Aaron has an extensive background in leadership while working within his local community and beyond towards the success of people of color. Aaron has a wife and two beautiful children, currently, residing in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Indian Philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti is attributed to saying, “The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” Observation without evaluation, I call that curiosity. Curiosity is said to be the secret to happiness. Why? Because you’re no longer asking if you’re happy or sad, you’re in a state of being, a state of observing. Unfortunately, it appears that the art of being curious is being lost in American culture today.

In 2020, it seems, when someone disagrees with a thought or idea there are significantly less questions for clarity than I recall in the past. I’ve witnessed people who were once friends being written off as mortal enemies because of an opposing viewpoint. Instead of attempting to understand where another person is coming from it is becoming more and more commonplace for people to turn their backs on one another, drawing lines in the sand. And although their disagreement could have been about one thing, and they’ve agreed on a million other things, people in American society seem to be reluctant to ask questions to better understand that one important topic. Instead, people stand on their side of the line and boldly proclaim their truth.

The United States of America has traditionally carried itself with boldness. Generally speaking, we (as Americans) state that we’re the greatest nation in the world, yet we have significant turmoil and division. We’re taught that we are supposed to be one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all, and we also know that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Yet, we exist as a nation divided, standing on opposite sides of the fence. As a result, many of this nation’s citizens are determined to remain bold and steadfast in their long-held beliefs about what they deem to be true.

Personally, I think boldness and steadfastness can be great. Certainty is a good thing. I think it’s nearly impossible to be bold without holding onto information that one deems to be absolutely true. I can say, with boldness, that my name is Aaron Smith. You can’t tell me otherwise, because I know my name. That’s not up for debate, and if you challenge that fact, you will lose. I know what I know. But I also understand that I know very little even with a tremendous amount of information.

We live in an instantaneous society in which individuals read the headline, see the tweet, hear the rumor and then boldly proclaim it as truth. Today, many people deem the information they receive to be factual and boldly repeat it with very little additional insight to back up their stance. Boldness is manifested by information received that’s deemed to be true.

“Being genuinely curious takes time, but leads to profound insight.”

— Aaron Smith

One of the nuggets of advice I give to my children and other young people I’ve mentored is, “You better understand what it is that you’re fighting for.” What I mean by that is that if you say Black Lives Matter, you need to be able to articulate what that movement means, and why it’s important to you. If you want to elect a candidate, you need to be informed on their stances and why they’re important to you. If you want a flavor of ice cream, you should be able to explain why. In the Smith household, the phrase, “I don’t know” is frowned upon. If you have an opinion, state it, if you want to boldly proclaim something, you need to be able to back it up. And this is why curiosity is so important - it’s the breeding ground for boldness.

It’s of great importance now, more than ever, to exercise curiosity so that we can be bold in our responses. We have an almost infinite amount of information at our fingertips. Because of the vast amounts of information we have access to, sometimes we can forget to be curious about others due to thinking we already have enough information. The best way to learn about someone else is to inquire with them. Be genuinely curious.

Being genuinely curious takes time, but leads to profound insight.

Being genuinely curious is being vulnerable, but leads to better understanding.

Being genuinely curious isn’t bold, but it can lead to boldness.

Being genuinely curious, my friends, is true intelligence.

Those who are curious have the ability to be bold in regards to what they’ve been curious about.

The curious will continue to seek knowledge regarding what they are not confident about.

Those who are willing to learn and gain understanding through this practice of curiosity can have the boldness to be a good neighbor to their brothers and sisters on this earth.

Take time to be curious before being bold, my friends.

Our Values: The Bold and the CURIOUS