6 Surprising Benefits of Curiosity

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

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It’s what led Alice down the rabbit hole and what fuelled Einstein to make his biggest discoveries. It’s even what NASA named one of their Mars Rovers. Curiosity has a lot to answer for, but what are the benefits of being curious and how can we be more curious?

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Curiosity is a desire to learn. It’s our eagerness to explore, discover, and figure things out. We’re all born curious. You only have to watch a child play to see curiosity in action. This built-in desire to explore the unknown is how we learn to understand the world around us.

The benefits of curiosity are not just intellectual. For all of us, regardless of age, curiosity has been has powerful psychological, emotional, social, and even health benefits. Let’s have a look at a few!

1?????Curiosity makes us better problem solvers

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When our curiosity is triggered, we tend to think on a deeper and more rational level about decisions, which allows us to come up with more creative solutions. Curiosity is the key to using our imagination and thinking ‘outside the box’.

?To practice: Challenge and ‘we’ve always done it this way’ thinking

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2?????Curiosity makes us better decision makers

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The more knowledge we gain as a result of being curious, the more resources and information we have to tap into when we need to think more critically about a problem or make an important decision.

?To practice: Ask ‘why’ and ‘what it’ to challenge your ways of thinking.

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3?????Curiosity makes us better learners

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Curiosity can give us a deeper understanding of the world, and our place in it. Asking ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ challenges us, and taking an interest in other people’s viewpoints also causes us to consider perspectives different from our own.

?To practise: Use questions and feedback as opportunities to learn

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4?????Curiosity makes us better at creating inclusive environments

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Curiosity encourages us to think beyond what we see on the surface. In fact, research suggests that when our curiosity is triggered, we’re less likely to fall prey to things like confirmation bias and stereotyping, which create more positive and inclusive work cultures.

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To practise: Try to catch and challenge your stereotypes when you are faced with them.

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5?????Curiosity makes us better leaders and employees

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Being curious about other people’s ideas, goals, and ways of working can broaden our networks. The more comfortable we become asking questions, the easier it becomes to build and nurture relationships. This is not only beneficial to us individually, but it’s also benefits the organisations we’re a part of.

?To practise: Get in the habit of asking insightful questions.

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6?????Curious people are happier

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Research shows curiosity to be associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, and greater psychological well-being. Of course, it may be that people who are already happier tend to be more curious, but since our brains evolved to release dopamine when faced with novelty, it seems likely that it goes the other direction as well.

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How can we develop our curiosity?

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Curiosity is at the heart of learning and imagination. It educates us and encourages us to think about different perspectives.

Being curious, trying new things and experimenting can also give us a sense of meaning and purpose.

When practiced and nurtured in the right way, curiosity makes us better learners and thinkers. So how can we develop our curiosity?

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Keep an open mind. This means being open to the fact that people are going to have opinions and beliefs that differ from yours completely. Equally, things that you think you know and believe might be wrong, so it’s important to be prepared to accept this possibility and change your mind.

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Keep asking why. Taking things at face value all the time won’t challenge you or help you to grow. By always accepting the world at face value, without trying to dig deeper, you risk losing your curiosity. Use your curiosity to try to dig beneath the surface of what’s around you.

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Keep exploring new things. Experiencing the excitement of ‘otherness’ is an energising experience and may spark your interest to explore further. As easy way to do this is through what how you use your downtime. By reading and listening to diverse genres and topics, or trying a new hobby or sport, you will broaden your understanding of what is possible.

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Sure, there’s safety and security in staying in our comfort zones, and sometimes we need that. But exploring curiosity and the experiences it paves the way towards a more significant and fulfilling life. Both at home and at work too.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing

-?????????Albert Einstein.

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This blog has been inspired by our course ‘Curiosity’. To pique your curiosity with this and access to 150+ other bitesize learning resources: