That wonderful curiosity that makes our routine uncomfortable. That makes us excited. Yes, you read that right. It excites us, even if only for a couple of minutes, to find the answer to something we are interested in, no matter how simple it may be.
Leaving philosophy aside, human beings need to know in order to understand. To discover. To investigate. To learn… to believe, to grow, to move forward.
Curiosity and our brain: a biological match
In terms of neuroscience, curiosity is one of the basic biological drives in animals and humans, and has been identified as fundamental to learning and discovery. We can define curiosity as the intrinsic motivation to seek answers in order to learn and fill in the gaps caused by a lack of information. Therefore, this lack of knowledge and the need to fill this knowledge gap causes a negative feeling of deficiency between the knowledge we actually have and the knowledge we should aspire to have.
Berlyne’s theory of human curiosity distinguishes between two types of curiosity: Perceptual curiosity, which makes us investigate our environment, and epistemic curiosity, which helps satisfy our need to answer questions when faced with new things or contradictions.
Knock, knock: I’m your curiosity
Curiosity is that restlessness that appears without warning. We don’t always seek curiosity; often, it finds us. Whether in the form of doubt, a question, a contradiction… found in an image, a statement, a debate started in your environment… it suddenly creates a need to investigate, seek information, inquire…
That hunger for knowledge that arises almost without our noticing – the impulse to understand even if there is no immediate purpose – is extremely valuable, simply because it arises from the natural desire to understand. When that curiosity becomes an inherent part of our lives, it is difficult to measure the benefits it brings. No, it is not just knowledge: it is well-being, growth, motivation. Deci and Ryan already pointed this out in their theory of self-determination: when interest comes from within, from what really moves us, the experience becomes much more enriching.
From Petete’s Big Book to Saint Google and/or other ways of exploring
Yesterday, the way to satisfy our curiosity was basically by consulting books, dictionaries, biographies, studies, documentaries… Today, technology is our great ally. From educational platforms, interactive spaces, learning communities, social networks (questioning their veracity, of course), we can get an immediate answer. And, going even further, they not only answer our questions, but also provide us with more information that opens up new paths for our journey. Suggestions, further reading on topics of interest, new related fields… they open doors we never even thought of opening. They are like a spider’s web that we weave as we take each step and choose each direction.
Tell me how old you are, and I’ll tell you how curious you are
When it comes to age, there is a big difference between the need for curiosity and the role it plays.
As children, we learn out of curiosity. We constantly ask ourselves why things are the way they are: why this? Why that? It is an immediate need to satisfy our lack of knowledge with knowledge.
In adolescence, we focus on understanding the world, our environment and, if possible, ourselves, in order to create our identity and detect and understand our emotions.
In adulthood, curiosity can be suppressed by routine, comfort, lack of time… but if it arises, it is out of pure self-interest.
According to the study by Kashdan and Steger (2007), prolonged curiosity leads to emotional improvements and our ability to adapt. And in such a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, continuing to ask questions is necessary to avoid becoming part of the herd.
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Not all cats are grey
There are many people who, as soon as a doubt arises, are willing to move heaven and earth to obtain the prize of the answer, and others who need other stimuli to become entangled in the passionate search for it. Our way of being, our education, our environment and even our culture directly influence how we act in the face of the unknown.
Curiosity is not a gift. It is a skill that we can develop simply by asking ourselves questions, stopping to delve deeper into what catches our attention and not dismissing it as just another mystery of our existence. Every day it becomes easier to find answers; we just have to learn to ask the right questions and let ourselves be carried along by the river called learning.
Awareness of our curiosity. A new paradigm
When we are aware of what interests us, regardless of how that curiosity comes to us, we are already on the wonderful path of learning. That tiny spark, that excitement, can lead to great conversations, to making big decisions, to wanting to share that idea. Curiosity is also about connecting with others.
Look at how it can interfere: In our personal lives, it makes us grow. Professionally, it can make us contribute more, be more productive and decisive. The more knowledge we have, the more we can contribute, the more ideas we have and the better we are at solving problems. In our social environment, it opens up a whole range of behaviours, from knowing how to listen, compare and analyse contradictions or inconsistencies to becoming more empathetic by broadening our horizons.
Sharing and generating curiosity in others
There is no greater inspiration for others than when your message and attitude exude confidence and conviction. And when you share your concerns with enthusiasm, you can inspire others. If you ask thought-provoking questions about a topic that interests you and share information with well-reasoned arguments, you are almost guaranteed to spark amazement and interest in others.
Sharing is the order of the day, but the key is not to have a PhD in every subject, but to maintain that spark of wanting to continue feeding that knowledge, either on your own or by sharing your curiosity.
Those who live with curiosity never cease to be amazed
Curiosity is not just learning, it is a way of life. It is stopping to look closely, asking questions honestly, accepting your ignorance by travelling down paths that others may not know, listening and exploring, with or without fear, without demanding to understand everything ipso facto.
Keeping ourselves in a state of continuous learning out of curiosity will open doors that we never thought we could knock on. Because that is what learning is all about: growing.
And the next time something piques your curiosity, no matter how small, don’t ignore it. Stop. Investigate. Ask questions. Probe. You may not get an extraordinary answer. Or you may. What is certain is that from the moment you decide to follow your curiosity, you will be growing.
