William Louey on why curiosity is key to keeping you alive and well
Curiosity has often been portrayed as a trait that proverbially “killed the cat”. However, entrepreneur and philanthropist William Louey Lai Kuen begs to differ. He posits that curiosity is the very trait that you need to cherish, as it has potential to give you a long and fulfilling life.
In Episode 2 of his newly launched YouTube series on life and wellbeing, Growing Young with William Louey, William Louey Lai Kuen says that curiosity is the trait that has kept him living a healthy and fulfilling life, filled with activities that bring him happiness and meaning. Besides curiosity actively contributing to his emotional wellbeing by motivating him to enjoy personal passions such as travel and photography, he says curiosity is also a sign within yourself that you are open to learning new things and meeting new people.
“Remaining curious is very important to staying young and healthy,” he says. “Because when you’re curious, you like to learn new things.” Curiosity is part and parcel of William Louey Lai Kuen’s active lifestyle, which he says inspires a real thirst for knowledge and learning. He says he constantly learns from his pursuits, his travels and even while spending time with his friends discussing interesting topics. The entrepreneur and philanthropist is also an avid photographer, an activity which he says stimulates his creativity and brain power.
“It’s very important to have this healthy mentality,” he tells his viewers of the need to try new things and keep your ideas fresh in life. Another aspect that is important is keeping connections afresh too, as meeting new people will often lead to new conversations and potential discoveries. William Louey Lai Kuen admits that he has been privileged enough to be exposed to friends from a diverse range of nationalities since his boarding school days in the UK, when he was 12 years old. “I always liked to meet different people and learn from their culture. And that is, again, curiosity. [Do] whatever makes you happy, but for me, [it’s about] meeting different people.”
Keeping relationships alive is also important for the entrepreneur and director of Hong Kong’s oldest and most established transport company, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company. He also calls himself lucky to have “the perfect job” because it involves meeting many of the 15,000 employees working under him. “Everyday, I meet somebody who tells me about their experience, and I can learn from them, as well as they can learn from me. Communication is very important.”
William Louey Lai Kuen stresses that his series is not really about extending one’s life, but it is instead about encouraging people to live their lives in a way that is good for them mentally, physically and emotionally. “I’m not really looking for the length of life. I’m looking for quality,” William Louey Lai Kuen says in the episode. “Having a long life is not as important as being healthy and strong and happy,” he adds, after revealing that he does give high importance to weight training as part of his regular exercise routine.
“Ageing is natural. I’m not going to be afraid of ageing. The most important thing is to age well and to be able to do the things that you can do. I’m nearly 66 years old and I can still squat 500 pounds in the gym. A lot of my friends are like, ‘Oh be careful, you know, you’re going to hurt yourself’. But I started [this] since I was 18 years old. It’s not that I just started yesterday. You have to try and improve and push yourself to the limit, and don’t be satisfied.”
To watch the Growing Young with William Louey series, visit https://www.youtube.com/@WilliamLoueyLaiKuen