You probably know that curiosity killed the cat, but did you know that satisfaction brought it back? Yes, there’s a second part to that saying! Your grandma may say the first part when the biggest gossip in town is prying into everyone’s private business, and maybe we should mind our own business then, but it pays to be curious most of the time.

Humans have been curious forever. Someone looked up at the night sky and was curious enough to ask, “What else is up there?” We continue to ante up racecars and extreme sports, walking the tightrope of faster and intense, while also working on improvements to increase safety. Movie-makers ask how they can make the extreme look real on screen. Curiosity has led to risky ideas, but often the reward is justifiable. Curiosity moves humanity forward with scientific advancements in areas like space travel and medicine. It also urges pop culture to celebrate diverse voices and cultures. The risk-reward is—more often than not—in the favor of curiosity.

When a cat is curious, they are trying to fill a gap in their knowledge about an unknown. George Lowenstein’s (1994) information gap theory explains how curiosity is similar to our other drives, such as hunger.(1) When you’re hungry, you fill your stomach. When you’re curious, you fill the information gap. Curiosity is not only a natural drive we have, but is also beneficial as a form of learning for other cognitive functions. In the paper “The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity,” Celeste Kidd and Benjamin Y. Hayden write that “curiosity activates learning systems” and that “curiosity is critical for learning.”(2) 

In a 2023 study, scientists tested the cognitive abilities of adults before and after the group learned multiple new skills, including Spanish, painting, and using an iPad.(3) discovered that learning new skills improved their working memory, cognitive control, and episodic memory—functions that allow us to store and process information, make decisions, problem-solve, and set and accomplish goals.

When growing up, kids are constantly learning, either from school or from asking parents questions like “why is it called corn on the cob?” My dad would tell me because “banana” was already taken—or in other words, he didn’t have an answer. As adults, once you leave school, education tends to plateau. However, these studies and research point to curiosity and attaining new information as pivotal for brain health no matter how old you are, making it beneficial to seek out learning opportunities when you can. You never know where your course of curiosity may take you. 

Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness is the willingness to do or understand new things. This willingness is very important when learning how to be more curious. A close-minded person can get sucked into an echo chamber of their own beliefs, making it difficult to learn new things and be accepting of them. An open-minded person doesn’t necessarily have a neutral opinion of everything, but they have an understanding of the full picture, helping to cement their opinions and beliefs.

Learning to be open-minded begins by entering spaces without judgment and with empathy. Question what you already know and seek opportunities to learn about what you don’t. Embrace art from cultures different from your own. Watch movies in a language you don’t know. Read books that look different from any you’ve picked up before. Look for firsthand primary sources from historical events. Go to a farmer’s market and find a food stand with a cuisine you’ve never tried before, and ask for recommendations. As you approach all of these things, be comfortable with the fact that there is a lot that you don’t know and be willing to learn. When you don’t know something, ask questions.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." - Marie Curie

Questions First

Kids tend to be very curious. They learn new information by constantly asking questions, sometimes to the dismay of adults. For some, there comes a point as a young adult when you think you should know everything and would rather pretend like you know something before admitting that you don’t. Once you are comfortable accepting the fact that you don’t know everything, ask why, how, and what. Curiosity starts with questions, whether you say them out loud or not. If your toilet breaks, you’ll probably ask, “How do I fix this?” Maybe your first thought is to call a repair-person, but then you see the price tag attached. That could then lead to asking, “How do I fix this myself?” resulting in going to Google or YouTube.

These questions could also appear in conversation when you’re trying to get to know someone. It feels obvious that you would ask questions to learn about a person, but asking questions is also about listening. You may be nervous on a first date and focus too hard on how to impress them. Instead, really listen to what the other person is saying and ask questions anytime there is a gap in your knowledge. If you ask, “What do you do for work?” and they answer with something you don’t know much about, dig a little deeper. Ask clarifying questions to really show your interest and learn something new. There are no dumb questions. Every opportunity to learn is a good opportunity.

I’ve recently gotten into Formula 1 racing, and the internet has become my best friend as I attempt to understand all of the jargon and ins and outs of race weekends. I’ve completely adopted the mantra of there are no dumb questions. This is especially true when there is plenty of lore to discover and rules and regulations that change from year to year. If I ever found myself pondering, I’d make a quick pit stop on the internet to answer my questions. This may seem like common sense to many, but it can be daunting to jump into gathering new knowledge. Give yourself grace and time to learn. It may take more than one Google search to fully grasp a concept.

Something New

Curiosity also comes in the form of learning new skills and interests. Use your curiosity and research skills to your advantage by looking up questions as they arise. There are so many resources online that can point you in the right direction. Don’t disregard books or referring to experts for help either (more on that later). As you start to learn more, you’ll probably have even more questions. Follow that trail until you know enough to get started. Then, build up your knowledge over time. Don’t feel like you have to know everything about a new interest right away.

It’s never too late to learn something new. New information is thrown at us everyday. If you find a nice camera buried away in your parents house and think, “I wish I knew how to use this,” give it a shot! Learning a new skill in adulthood can be overwhelming, but don’t let that discourage you. Conquering something new doesn’t mean you have to become a master of it. You have full control of how much time you put into learning.

Available Tools

When in school, you have access to classes, teachers, libraries, news subscriptions, and sometimes special equipment or technology. Outside of school, free resources still exist for people to use, the largest being your public library. In addition to physical books, many public libraries also offer the opportunity to use LinkedIn Learning courses, language learning courses, scholarly journals, career assistance, and more. Libraries often host events and workshops for obtaining new skills. Some have computers and printers. They may house Makerspaces with 3D printers and other specialized equipment with a small price for material costs. If you don’t already own a free library card, try visiting your local library and check out what resources are available to you. Librarians are also very willing to answer any questions you may have as you get started. 

The internet can also be an excellent place to ask questions as long as you know where to look. YouTube is a great place to start your research. You’re more than likely to find multiple videos with instructions for fixing your specific problem. Always approach a problem by believing that you have the skills necessary to do something until you are proven wrong, if at all. I have a great memory of my friends and I standing outside in the snow watching a tutorial on how to jumpstart a car for one of my roommates. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for us that time, but we gained that skill in the process, which was useful for me when my own car battery had problems a year later. That time, I was able to jumpstart my car with the skills I had remembered. There are lots of blog posts, forums, and video tutorials all over the internet of experts and hobbyists who post free resources because they just want to help.

There are many free courses online through websites like LinkedIn and Coursera. Some colleges also have free online courses available regardless of whether or not you’re an enrolled student. You can do these courses for fun or pay for a certificate if it’s a skill you would like to include on a resume. There are also subscription-based websites such as Skillshare that specialize in teaching specific creative skills. If you want to continue your education with a degree, consider looking for options at your local community colleges. These colleges can be more affordable and flexible than four-year universities.

Staying curious can mean constantly asking questions, seeking new opportunities, or learning something new. Curiosity is the reason for technological advancements that allow us to complete tasks with ease. It keeps us questioning and seeking to make the unknown known, like finally getting a look at the dark side of the moon with human eyes on Artemis II. Whether you desire to simply expand your knowledge, improve in your career, or start a new hobby, acting on curiosity is the stepping stone to lifelong learning. 

Works Cited

1. Loewenstein G. The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin. 1994;116(1):75–98. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.1.75 

2. Kidd C, Hayden BY. The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity. Neuron. 2015 Nov 4;88(3):449–60. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.010 PubMed PMID: 26539887; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4635443. 

3. Leanos S, Kürüm E, Strickland-Hughes CM, Ditta AS, Nguyen G, Felix M, et al. The Impact of Learning Multiple Real-World Skills on Cognitive Abilities and Functional Independence in Healthy Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2023 May 12;78(8):1305–17. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbad053 PubMed PMID: 37171401; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10394988. 

Credits

Editor: Piper Ruth

Research Consultant: Emmerson Borthwick

Illustrator: Aiden Lawton

**The Beamish Club does not offer professional medical advice, treatments, nor diagnosis. Anything written and published by The Beamish Club is not a direct replacement for medical treatment. If you have health concerns, please seek advice from your local health and mental health professionals for treatment plans.**