Sadly it is not only the force of gravity we get used to as we grow up.

The world itself becomes a habit in no time at all. It seems as if in the

process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world. And in

doing so, we lose something central—something philosophers try to restore.

For somewhere inside ourselves, something tells us that life is a huge

mystery. This is something we once experienced, long before we learned to

think the thought.

To be more precise: Although philosophical questions concern us all, we

do not all become philosophers. For various reasons most people get so

caught up in everyday affairs that their astonishment at the world gets

pushed into the background. (They crawl deep into the rabbit’s fur, snuggle

down comfortably, and stay there for the rest of their lives.)

To children, the world and everything in it is new, something that gives

rise to astonishment. It is not like that for adults. Most adults accept the

world as a matter of course.

"Sophie's World' Jostein Gaarder

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