Curiosity is one of my favourite emotions. The intrinsic drive to explore the world and seek knowledge. I think engaging curiosity is one of the best ways to make life more exciting and enjoyable.
Unbridled curiosity motivated me a lot when I was younger. There was no hesitation to investigate any objects or things or people that looked interesting and ask questions like 'what is that?' or 'why?'. If you look around, you can imagine exactly what it feels to lick any surface. This is because your toddler self was very busy sticking its tongue onto anything and everything, finding out what it tasted like.
The feeling is very pure. As we get older, we hold back because of fear of what others might think. But letting go of this and just allowing ourselves to look for answers to the questions that naturally arise within can help us find our inner child again. When I let myself get curious I can get into a flow state of research that melts time and space away. Nothing else is more important in that moment.
A great place I have been implementing this is in conversations. I have always been curious about other people because I think humans are endlessly interesting. Learning about another person's story and their thoughts and feelings in a more deliberate way has really improved the quality of my relationships. Asking follow up questions more is a very easy thing to do. Finding a conversation partner that is not afraid to keep exploring can be very rewarding.
But can curiosity go too far? What about 'curiosity killed the cat...'?
I think so. That isn't too say it is inherently bad, but unrestrained curiosity can be somewhat neurotic. I would say it crosses the line when you are trying to settle some discomfort with uncertainty instead of pursuing something out of pure interest. In my experience when you take a second to breathe and reflect, you can realise you are in a despairing curious state over a more whimsical one. This is easier said than done, I certainly find it difficult.
I think that to make use of your curiosity and allow it to flourish, you should allow your brain to observe the world and guide you. Sometimes in the form of that spontaneous impromptu Wikipedia deep research session, but also in our environment. Maybe you can take a different route back on your way home, spark a conversation with that cool person you see around or read on a subject you've always been interested in. Raise awareness of the things that intruige you, pursue answers and enjoy the journey.