“I have no special talent; I am only passionately curious.” ~ Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is, without a doubt, a genius. However, he did say the quote above, which can probably be applied to most scientists and geniuses. They are passionately curious. Curiosity is one of the contemplative habits we focus on in Adventures in Seeing. When we’re curious, we’re eager to learn, to understand, to delve deeper – either with the world or with ourselves.

In her book, The Power of Why, Canadian business writer Amanda Lang shows how curiosity and asking the right questions can fuel innovation and change in business. She profiles several successful business people and finds that curiosity plays a big role in their success. In a fascinating interview with the CBC, Lang said that the innovators she spoke to were everyday people who just wanted to solve a problem. The message she wanted to get across is that anyone can do the same if they learn to ask questions.

“Most of us could do less sleepwalking, less passive behaviour and more connection, more searching and probing. It feels good. It is the way to be happy.”

In his book, Curious?, Todd Kashdan argues that curiosity is the missing ingredient to a life of wonder, joy, and meaning.

Putting curiosity at the heart of everything we do means we experience daily life in a different way — we ‘discover the unfamiliar in the familiar’, as Kashdan puts it. ‘One way of looking at it is that curiosity is a fundamental part of mindfulness,’ he explains. ‘Each of us experiences moments every day that we can explore or ignore. Whether we view our curious states and feelings as openness, flow, intrinsic motivation or a search for meaning, curiosity is at their core. They all involve feeling receptive to experiences that offer more than what is already known.’ ~ Psychologies Magazine

Cultivating a new habit often involves replacing old ones. So, we have to be hyper-aware when those old habits make an appearance.

Two habits that block curiosity are anxiety and judgment.

During a mindfulness workshop, facilitator Deirdre Walsh explained that our brains are wired to become more anxious as we grow older. This is because we have more experiences to draw from and we want to avoid those that have caused distress in the past. Anxiety might be triggered even when there is no real basis for worry.

Also, we have a desire to fit in and to please others and this sometimes keeps us from trying something new or out of the ordinary or even asking questions. We have learned that by asking questions we can sometimes be made to feel stupid. Anxiety feels uncertain and vulnerable. However, it is exactly curiosity that we need to cultivate to relieve our anxieties.

Notice your anxieties and question them. How can you replace them with curiosity?

Judgment is another block to curiosity which severely limits our lives. Judgment applies labels and puts things into nice, clean boxes. However, everything and everyone is constantly changing, so no one can or should be put into a box.

Last week, someone posted a profile picture on Facebook of a young man with all kinds of piercings, tattoos, and rings. They asked for the first word that came to mind when seeing this picture. I saw words like “pitiful” and “scary.” I’m sure this was an experiment in how we quickly judge appearance, but the responses were pretty scary to me. How about “different” or “expressive?” What if we were to sit down and have a conversation with this young man and ask him about his piercings and tattoos. He just might have some interesting stories to tell.

Look at everything. Don’t close your eyes to the world around you. Look and become curious and interested in what there is to see. ~ John Cage

Noticing our judgments does not mean that we abandon our values or condone someone’s bad or cruel behaviour. But, turning judgment into curiosity puts a whole new spin on things. It gets to the heart of trying to understand why people believe and act the way they do. Our view is always partial. Everything is more complex than surface appearances show.

Notice your anxieties and judgments and question them. See if you can replace them with curiosity instead.

** Books mentioned have Amazon or Bookshop affiliate links, meaning I make a few cents if you purchase through my link. I only recommend books that I’ve read.