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I think Dennett would be flattered!

In my flawed self-analysis, I've noticed myself have 2 kinds of wonder, and I think this might be a common theme to other people.

  1. Wonder of novelty -- when something hasn't been experienced before and it is there is a great freshness from seeing it for the first time if it's interesting, colourful etc. This is where things like the travel bug comes from, and better fulfilled by Westerners through going to Rajasthan than Salisbury

  2. Wonder of understanding -- this is the wonder of knowing something for an extended period of time and still being amazed by it. For instance, I have a great wonder for Special Relativity despite knowing the details for many years.

I would say that your post laments that in most people 1 >> 2. And while I think this might be true, there are still a great deal of instances of 2 in most people: from getting lost in a conversation with an old friend or partner to taking walks through nature (which never ceases to amaze people even though they may have been on the same beach at sunset hundreds of times).