Curiosity . . . endows the people who have it with a generosity in argument and a serenity in cheerful willingness to let life take the form it will.

Cooke links curiosity to a moral and social temperament rather than mere inquisitiveness. For him, sustained interest in how other people think and live produces “generosity in argument”: a readiness to listen, grant complexity, and revise one’s views without humiliation or rancor. The same habit also yields “serenity,” because curiosity turns uncertainty into invitation—life’s unpredictability becomes something to explore rather than resist. The quote suggests that curiosity is a civilizing force: it softens dogmatism, encourages intellectual humility, and makes disagreement less about winning than understanding. In that sense, curiosity becomes both an ethical stance and a practical strategy for living well amid change.