“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
I was a curious but annoying kid. My favorite word was “Why,” and I questioned everything. I wanted to know why I shouldn’t eat dog food, why the stray cat I brought home had gotten so fat, and why it wasn’t okay to push my little brother down the stairs in a cardboard box.
My mother may have gotten tired of trying to keep up with my questioning, because I remember her answers being variations of “Because.” That’s not a reason a curious child will settle for. We need to find meaning for everything in our lives.
Children are naturally curious from birth, but some more so than others. Researchers have discovered that highly curious toddlers tend to have higher IQs as older children than their less inquisitive peers. Unfortunately, that heightened sense of wonder we possess when we’re young usually diminishes as we grow older.
My sense of curiosity has never waned. I’m always in search of knowledge on a wide range of subjects. There’s a downside to this because I’ve developed an interest in so many different activities, I have no time for them all. At least it makes me an interesting conversationalist and a whiz at Trivial Pursuit.
As adults we can reap numerous benefits from cultivating our curiosity. Studies show that curious people are usually independent and self-reliant and have good analytic and problem-solving skills. I’ve always believed that because of my curious mind, if I have accurate instructions and the right tools, I can accomplish, build, or fix anything.
Curiosity can also make us healthier and happier. A study of older adults found that those who were classified as curious at the beginning of a five-year period were more likely to still be going strong at the end of that time. The habit of being curious may even prevent us from developing conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. (Regrettably, I have both.) Research shows that curious people are more satisfied with their lives and have both a greater sense of well-being and a more positive outlook on life.
Some psychologists believe that if we regularly challenge our minds with puzzles, quizzes, and new experiences, we may better maintain our mental faculties into old age. Those who are curious about the people and the world around them will have active minds, and an active mind is a strong mind.
People who are curious about others are inherently empathic and open-minded. When we meet and interact with people outside of our own social, economic, and cultural spheres, we’re better able to understand their lives, including their struggles, needs, and beliefs.
I’m one of those annoying people that sit next to you on the plane and insists on carrying on a conversation. I can’t help it; I’m not nosy, I’m genuinely interested in where you come from, where you’re going, and why you’re traveling. Strangely, in the many times I’ve flown by myself, I’ve had only one person refuse to converse with me. In most cases, people are eager to talk about themselves.
I’ve had stimulating conversations with a variety of people. A middle-aged man, an immigrant from Niger (West Africa), shared stories of growing up in an unstable country amidst poverty and famine and his enormous pride in finally becoming a citizen of the United States. I discussed politics, crocheting, and web design with a young woman whose husband happened to work at the same company as my son-in-law. An elderly Hispanic gentleman expressed his apprehension about going to live with his daughter near Dallas, especially since his son-in-law was an avid Cowboys fan, and he preferred the Vikings.
So, if curiosity can make you smarter and more capable, improve your health, make you happier, and enhance your social relationships, don’t you think it would be worth your time to develop a curious mind? Here are a few suggestions on how you might do that:
View the world with the wonder of a child. Marvel at the structure of a snowflake, color the hues of a rainbow, search for pictures in the clouds.
Increase your database of knowledge. Learn a new craft, watch a documentary on an unfamiliar subject, read a book in a genre you’re unaccustomed to.
Change your daily routines. Take a different route to work, shop at a store other than the usual one, go to lunch with someone you haven’t seen for awhile.
Step out of your comfort zone. Initiate a conversation with someone whose opinions are in diametrical opposition to yours, do something surprising and totally out of character, take part in an activity you’ve considered risky or crazy.
Don’t take things for granted. Ask what, why, when, where, and how.
Now I’m curious about what you think about this article, so tell me in the comments below why you’ve read it this far and how you’re going to develop your curiosity. Oh, and just for the heck of it, you can also tell me where you are.
NOTE: This is the year I celebrate (?) seven decades residing on this planet. My journey so far has taught me many life lessons, so I decided to share some of them with you. I’ll be posting one each day from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Yesterday: Don’t Fear Change
Tomorrow: Embrace Your Inner Child
