> I wish I could be one of these fearless and supremely knowledgeable people!
There's no trick to it (or there's a massive trick to it), you just refuse to let a mystery go until you know what's happening, mostly because figuring things out is fun.
In the process, you gain a large amount of knowledge.
It comes down to genuine, natural unforced interest (its there or not) and mastering the ability to systematically deal with and how to tackle the next unknown. After years this make you a true wizard.
I also think that figuring things out is one of life's most rewarding experiences.
But I've found out a lot of people don't think like that. I've often been asked "but why are you doing this" on the topic of my "eccentric" projects. People often can't understand why I find it fascinating because they would only find it tormenting.
There's no trick to it (or there's a massive trick to it), you just refuse to let a mystery go until you know what's happening, mostly because figuring things out is fun.
In the process, you gain a large amount of knowledge.