I like your list of signs of a curiosity stopper. I don’t necessarily think that “elan vital” meets those requirements (as Roy points out), but perhaps it did for many people or at some times.
I like the list because my brain feels a little more limber and a little more powerful, having pondered it. The list is a curiosity ENHANCER, and an anticipation SHARPENER.
-- James
I love this idea. It reminds me of a bit of management advice I once heard: knives in the chest, not in the back. For better results, get debate out in the open.