Said Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century philosopher.
Curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something. It is also the capacity to question. Children best exemplify this. Their non-jaded and untainted minds make them curious about things.
Some people have a persistent curiosity, which has contributed to inventions, innovations and advancements in many fields of knowledge.
The reality is that the majority of people I meet have stopped being curious.
Perhaps it is a result of their upbringing – ‘Stop asking so many questions, Betty!’ Or perhaps busyness with the 101 tasks at hand. Or perhaps they have learnt that ‘curiosity killed the cat’ or ‘ask and you will get more work’ at their workplaces and decided to keep quiet instead of questioning.
I empathise with that. Being curious is our given birth right but staying curious takes work and a certain amount of courage as we grow up.
Imagine, though, if Newton had simply eaten the apple?
We may not have a desire to be the next Newton. That’s true. If that’s the case, then you might ask, why should we care to be curious?
I believe that having a curious mindset is an inner resource within our control that allows us to pivot according to circumstances and open pathways of possibilities. It is a trait that has long-term benefits for our personal and professional success.
Research shows that the brain’s chemistry changes when we are curious, helping us better learn and retain information. Charan Ranganath, a psychologist at the University of California, was curious to know why we retain some information and forget other things.Their findings suggest that, in addition to optimising instructional methods, stimulating curiosity ahead of knowledge acquisition could enhance learning success.
When the circuit is activated, our brains release a chemical called dopamine, which gives us a high. Dopamine also seems to play a role in enhancing the connections between cells that are involved in learning.
If curiosity sustains our interest and helps us in acquiring knowledge, then it would have an impact not only on our success but happiness as well.
Think about your relationships.
‘We never seem to have a conversation anymore.’
‘My dad and mum are too busy; they’ve got no time for me.’
When our children share with us about their school days, do we pause to ask questions to find out more or do we shut them up?
When your mother starts sharing about her day, does your mind automatically switch off?
When your spouse starts to happily chat with you, do you continue to scroll through the media feed on your phone?
It is not surprising that relationships may suffer due to a lack of curiosity on our part. When we are no longer curious about our partners or the people we care about, that’s when we have a tendency to stop making time or stop being fully present to them.
Happy weekend and may you enjoy conversations with your family! 💕