Curiosity Unbound: How a Bookless Thought Sparks a Better Today
Matthew Murrie
Author | Global Curiosity Expert | Creator of Curiosity-Based Thinking
Transform Your Day Through Curiosity-Based Thinking
Imagine waking up tomorrow in a world where books never existed—no dog-eared paperbacks by your bedside, no textbooks in classrooms, no ancient tomes in libraries.
What would that first morning feel like? How would you learn something new? Where would stories live?
This isn't just a quirky thought experiment—it's a doorway to making today meaningfully better through the power of curiosity.
I'm the author of The Book of What If...? and creator of Curiosity-Based Thinking (CBT), and I'm convinced that questions like "What if books never existed?" can transform ordinary days into extraordinary opportunities for growth and connection.
The beauty of Curiosity-Based Thinking lies in its simplicity: it harnesses your natural wonder through four intuitive steps that turn "What if...?" into "What now?"
How Curiosity Transforms the Everyday
When we explore a question like "What if books never existed?", something remarkable happens—we start seeing the familiar with fresh eyes.
Books, those everyday objects we often take for granted, suddenly reveal themselves as revolutionary tools that have shaped civilization. This shift in perspective is where the magic of Curiosity-Based Thinking begins.
The four steps of CBT create a natural flow from wonder to meaningful action:
Spark Curiosity: Begin with a provocative question that makes your mind tingle with possibilities.
Explore and Discover: Investigate your question through research, conversation, or experimentation.
Reframe Understanding: Connect your discoveries to your life and reshape your thinking.
Create Something New: Transform your insights into action or creation.
Through this lens, "What if books never existed?" isn't just an interesting hypothetical—it's a catalyst for reimagining how we share knowledge, tell stories, and connect with others today.
The four steps of Curiosity-Based Thinking visualized.
Three Powerful Insights from a Bookless World
Before we dive into activities, let's explore three revelations that emerge when we ponder a world without books:
1. Alternative Knowledge Paths Emerge
Without books, we'd rely on different channels for learning—oral traditions, apprenticeships, visual arts, and communal storytelling would take center stage.
This insight reminds us that knowledge flows through many streams, not just the printed page.
Even in our book-rich world, these alternative paths offer valuable ways to grow and connect that we often overlook.
2. Absence Illuminates Value
Imagining the absence of books highlights their extraordinary impact: they democratize learning, preserve voices across time, and allow ideas to travel beyond their creators.
This appreciation, born from curiosity, can transform how we approach the written word today—not as a mundane activity but as a remarkable privilege.
3. Community Becomes Essential
In a bookless world, knowledge preservation would depend heavily on community—think elders passing down stories or groups creating shared memories through art and ritual.
This revelation shows how curiosity naturally brings people together, creating opportunities for meaningful connection in our increasingly isolated digital age.
These insights aren't just interesting thoughts—they're launchpads for actions that can make today better than it was destined to be.
Three Simple Activities to Transform Today Through Curiosity
Ready to put Curiosity-Based Thinking into action? Here are three accessible activities inspired by "What if books never existed?" that you can start right now:
1. The Bookless Hour Challenge
What to Do: For the next 60 minutes, challenge yourself to avoid all text—no books, articles, social media posts, or written words of any kind.
How would you learn, communicate, or entertain yourself in a world without written language?
Try listening to a podcast, having a face-to-face conversation, or recording a voice memo of your thoughts.
How It Works:
Curiosity: The challenge makes you wonder how different your routines would be without text.
Discovery: You explore alternative ways to absorb information and ideas.
Reframing: You begin to see reading as just one of many ways to engage with the world.
Creation: You develop new habits or insights to carry forward.
Why It Makes Today Better: This temporary constraint sparks creativity and gratitude, turning an ordinary hour into a mini-adventure of rediscovery.
You might find yourself noticing sounds, faces, or ideas you usually miss when your eyes are fixed on text.
2. Storyteller's Circle
What to Do: Choose something you learned or experienced today—it could be a fact, a memory, or an observation.
Now, share it with someone orally, as if you're living in a world where storing this knowledge in writing isn't an option. Focus on making it memorable through your voice, gestures, and narrative structure.
How It Works:
Curiosity: You consider how knowledge survived before written records.
Discovery: You uncover the power of your voice and personal connection.
Reframing: You redefine sharing as an active, embodied experience.
Creation: You craft a spoken story that exists in the moment.
Why It Makes Today Better: This simple act builds confidence, deepens connections, and makes information stick through emotional engagement.
Rather than passively consuming or sharing information, you become an active creator of memorable experiences.
3. Visual Knowledge Capture
What to Do: Reflect on one significant thing you encountered today—a conversation, an observation, a challenge—and instead of writing about it, draw it.
No words allowed, just images. Spend 10 minutes creating a visual representation that could communicate your experience to someone else without text.
How It Works:
Curiosity: You explore how knowledge might look without words.
Discovery: You notice what visuals can convey that text cannot.
Reframing: You see your experience through a different perceptual lens.
Creation: You produce a unique visual artifact that captures your day.
Why It Makes Today Better: This activity engages different neural pathways, boosts creativity, and enhances mindfulness.
It transforms a fleeting moment into a lasting impression and gives you a tangible reminder of your curious exploration.
Making Today Better Through Wonder
These activities, inspired by "What if books never existed?" and powered by Curiosity-Based Thinking, aren't just interesting diversions—they're transformative practices that can elevate an ordinary Tuesday into something remarkable. They invite you to:
See the familiar world with fresh appreciation
Connect with others in more authentic ways
Create something meaningful from your everyday experiences
Develop the habit of wonder that makes each day an adventure
The beauty of curiosity is that it's always available to you—no special equipment or perfect circumstances required. It's simply a matter of asking a good question and following where it leads.
I invite you to try just one of these activities today. Notice how it shifts your experience, opens unexpected doors, or brings a moment of delight.
And remember: curiosity isn't just about asking "What if...?"—it's about discovering "What's possible right now?"
What will your curiosity help you discover today?
Stay curious!
Matt