Welcome to Collective Curiosity
Welcome to Collective Curiosity
A Journey Through Shared Ideas
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
— Unknown
Sometime around 2015, I noticed an unmistakable shift - not just in myself, but in the world around me. My personal journey with mental health, a story I may share on this platform someday, reached a pivotal moment. Receiving long overdue diagnoses offered the clarity and tools I needed to evolve into the person I aspired to be. In the grander scheme, my experiences on Facebook, once a playground for fun, connection, and an endless deluge of cat videos, had morphed into something far more argumentative, confusing, and awkward. It was as if I had woken up one day to find that my social media experience had become a battleground, leaving me wondering what had gone awry - and longing for the good old days of poking and FarmVille.
By 2020, with the pandemic just getting started, Facebook, once a platform for fostering connections, had transformed into a vitriolic quagmire. It appeared that Dante Alighieri was born a few centuries too early to witness the rise of a 10th circle of hell, reserved for social media squabblers. Longtime friends began to lash out at each other with unbridled anger, taking pride in blocking and reporting one another as if it were a badge of honor to permanently sever ties with those holding differing opinions. It felt to me, at the time, as if the fabric of human connection was fraying at the seams, and I couldn't help but question the way I kept in touch with loved ones and how I wanted to communicate with the world around me.
This introspection took me on a meandering journey, where I pondered the peculiar new reality we had stumbled upon. I found myself missing the days of simpler online drama, such as the disputes over Myspace Top 8 demotions or deciphering whether a friend’s cryptic post of melancholic lyrics hinted at their newfound single status. I’ve been thinking for a while now about a way to restore the levity and captivating discussions that once defined my online interactions. Where the pursuit of understanding takes precedence over the need to be right. So here I am, starting a blog about curiosity.
"The more we share, the more we have."
— Leonard Nimoy
Welcome!
Welcome to Collective Curiosity, a newsletter where I'll be sharing my thoughts on a diverse range of topics that pique my curiosity and, hopefully, yours as well. My name is Davis Bickford, and I have an eclectic mix of interests, from technology and philosophy to pugs and pop culture.
In my life, I've experienced challenges that make it difficult for me to direct my focus to a single subject for long periods, while at other times, I become excessively fixated and unable to shift my attention away. These challenges have shaped my personality and have ultimately led me to embrace the opportunity to explore a wide variety of interests. Recognizing and understanding these aspects of myself has been one of the greatest gifts of my adult life.
That's why I decided to create Collective Curiosity – to offer a space where I can share my thoughts on an ever-changing array of topics and connect with others who share similar interests and challenges, while also deconstructing barriers and fostering understanding.
The name "Collective Curiosity" reflects the idea that shared interests and passions can bring our diverse thoughts and backgrounds together to create a community where we can learn from one another, engage in meaningful discussions, and support each other in our individual journeys.
What to expect from Collective Curiosity:
A variety of topics: The subjects I'll write about will be random and I don’t plan on restricting myself to specific topics. However, some of my favorite topics that are likely to come up are software engineering, video games, literature, computer science, drawing, writing, philosophy, TV, movies, exercise, and of course, my loving wife and our adorable pugs.
Regular updates: I plan to post at least once per week. A key aspect of my cognitive makeup is that my energy, focus, and interests can shift rapidly. Through this newsletter, I aim to both embrace and adapt to these fluctuations.
A welcoming community: Feel free to participate in the conversations and share your thoughts. If you disagree with anything I have to say, no matter how small, please say so! After all, “honesty in small things is not a small thing.” I want to learn and grow, and I want my mistakes to be as much an example for others as it is a lesson for me.
Thank you!
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I'm excited to see where our collective curiosity leads us, and I look forward to getting to know you all through your comments and interactions.
To subscribe, simply enter your email and click subscribe at the bottom of this post.
Note: The basic subscription to Collective Curiosity will be free, and I don’t currently have plans for a paid subscription. As I learn my way around this writing practice, I may also offer a paid subscription option sometime in the future. Time will tell!
I hope to see you all in the comments!
Best wishes,
Davis Bickford
Have you come this far and enjoyed what you read?
If so, please consider sharing and subscribing!
It would mean the world to me if you did!