Aren't You Curious?

"We tend to dismiss curiosity as a childish, naïve trait, but it can actually give us profound advantages."—Curiosity: the Secret to Your Success, by Rosie Ifould

I choose to believe all people are innately curious, especially given the right circumstances. I understand there's diversity, and as individuals we are attracted to different subjects, but even so. Doesn't everyone want to learn as much as they can about as many subjects as they can? Take economics, for example. Not exactly the most interesting subject for non-economists, and yet 5.5 million people bought—and presumably read—Freakonomics, a book about economics (or, as the authors describe it, "a book about cheating teachers, bizarre baby names, self-dealing Realtors, and crack-selling mama’s boys"). And the Freakonomics Radio podcasts gets 5 million downloads a month. Isn't that incredible? All those people—and me among them—willing and perhaps even eager to follow Levitt and Dubner on an improbable journey that involves asking and answering bizarre questions about economics.

Now imagine if everyone were as curious about everything as Levitt and Dubner are about economics. Wouldn't that be amazing?

I get worked up about this idea—wanting curiosity to be a national pastime—and sometimes my kids feel the need to reign me in with a gentle reminder of the status quo.

"Not everyone cares about [x]," they'll say (where "x" could be anything, from abnormal psychology to zero sum games, depending on my passion du jour).

"Really?" I'll say, before I've had a chance to consider what experience has taught me about human nature. Then, after a moment of searching their eyes to see if they're serious,  I'll realize they're probably speaking the truth. Not everyone wants to know the defining traits of a sociopath, or why optimum and equitable might not be compatible goals, or even whether the information on their evening news show is accurate.

I get it. Being curious can be tiring. Answers aren't always simple or easy to find. Sources of information vary—not everyone can bring a topic to life the way an entertaining, award-winning journalist can. So, we give up and turn our attention to less intellectually demanding ways to occupy our time.

But choosing apathy over curiosity is a terrible waste of human potential, because curiosity isn't just a quaint personality trait. Being curious can help us learn and grow. It can lead us to better jobs. It can even improve our quality of life.

"One of the most reliable and overlooked keys to happiness is cultivating and exercising our innate sense of curiosity. That’s because curiosity—a state of active interest or genuinely wanting to know more about something—creates an openness to unfamiliar experiences, laying the groundwork for greater opportunities to experience discovery, joy and delight."—The Power of Curiosity, by Dr. Todd B. Kashdan

So, tell me, what are YOU curious about?