Why be Curious?

"The important thing is not to stop the questioning. Curiosity has it's own reason for existence." Albert Einstein

Why? Simply because curiosity is part of living an energized and fulfilling life. Curiosity is a crucial part of continuing to see the novelty and awe that exists all around us. Have you noticed the wonder that comes into a kid's eyes when they ask you questions? Especially the questions they ask about 15 times?

If you think curiosity isn't a big deal, think back to the last time you were curious about something. Once you have the moment, do this exercise. Close your eyes, breathe deep, get present, and put yourself back there. Engage all your senses, think back to what you saw, smelled, heard, etc. Really put yourself back there. Notice the sensations that came along with that feeling of curiosity. Start listing to yourself the sensations you were feeling. How are your energy levels? What was your state at that moment? I would bet that your general disposition was a positive one! As Tony Robbins says, "Cultivate curiosity. If you want to grow in your lifetime, learn to be as inquisitive as a child. Curious people are never bored, and for them life becomes an unending study of joy."

But how do you increase curiosity? Berne Brown gives us a hint when she defines curiosity in her book Atlas of the Heart as; "Recognizing a gap in our knowledge about something that interests us, and becoming emotionally and cognitively invested in closing that gap through exploration and learning."

Brown, quoting George Lowenstein, Author of Psychology of Curiosity, says curiosity isn't something that exists without something to "prime the pump." She says that, according to Lowenstein, curiosity starts when we recognize a gap in our knowledge. Meaning we have to have some knowledge already to recognize its holes. Therefore, just encouraging asking questions isn't enough. We need prime the pump.

So how do you increase your curiosity? Get in the habit of learning! Pick one thing that you have always wanted to learn more about. It could be anything! How to cook a new food, the history of a music genre, or how to survive in the wilderness. We all have that one thing that we have always wanted to learn more about. Decide that today you will take one action to learn more about it.

It could be just googling something small, like how to make a creme brûlée, or reading a chapter from a book on the topic. The goal is to learn something about the subject so that you can ask questions about it and get curious! Don't assume that what you know is all there is to know; ask questions so you can grow your reservoir of knowledge. As Neal Degrasse Tyson says, "One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong."

What are you going to discover more about? Leave a comment below!