16 Ways to Cultivate Curiosity and Boost Your Brain Power

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Engaging your curiosity for a happier, more fulfilling life
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While it can sometimes seem as though our culture discourages curiosity (curiosity "killed the cat," after all), being curious is actually really important if you want to live a [something and] fulfilling life. Read on to find out more about curiosity and how you can be more curious in your daily life. We also talked to Montessori consultant Bianca Solorzano to find out some ways you can encourage the development of curiosity.

Becoming More Curious

Curiosity is an innate human trait, but as you grow, it's possible to lose your curiosity. Increase your curiosity by asking questions, getting hands-on experience, trying new things, and exposing yourself to different perspectives.

Section 1 of 4:

16 Ways to Improve Your Curiosity

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  1. Think about what you know and what you don't. The more questions you come up with to fill in those holes in your knowledge, the more curious you'll become. [1] Ask open-ended questions that give you more detail—along with more questions to ask.
    • Ask questions that seek an answer out in the greater unknown (the "whys" and the "what ifs") rather than ones that simply consolidate basic information (the "whos" and the "whats"). [2]
    • For example, if someone says "The Great Gatsby is the Great American Novel," you might ask them why they believe that. Since it's considered so fundamentally American, you might also ask what if it were set in another country.
    • On a personal level, asking questions is essential for building relationships because it tells people that you value them and are interested in what they have to say. [3]
    • Asking questions can help you encourage children to be more curious as well. When a child asks you something, ask them what they think first—then tell them the answer. [4]
  2. Studies show that people who are curious are more open to hearing other people's opinions, even if they differ from their own. Increase your curiosity by seeking out people who seem very different from you and asking them about their experiences. Through polite, open-minded conversation you can learn a lot about how other people think and feel about the world around them. [5]
    • You can also expose yourself to different ideas and perspectives by reading books, watching films or videos, and listening to music. All art gives you access to the way someone else sees and understands the world.
    • Challenge yourself to change your own perspective as well. This can be as simple as sitting somewhere different and observing how your perspective on your surroundings shift.
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  3. Listening goes hand-in-hand with asking questions. When you listen actively , you'll find that you can more easily identify holes where you're lacking information so you know what questions to ask. And the questions you ask will open new pathways of discovery. [6]
    • As you listen, focus on understanding why someone thinks and feels the way they do rather than trying to judge or categorize what they're saying.
  4. Research shows that you're more likely to be curious about things that are personally valuable to you. [7] Start with things that you're already interested in, then follow the rabbit hole wherever it leads, letting only your curiosity be your guide.
    • Being interested in something acts as something like a neurological signal in your brain that can take you to some amazing places if you're willing to simply let go and follow your interest. [8]
    • Following your interest is at the core of Montessori. As Solorzano notes, "a fundamental to Montessori in the home is following the child's interest and inner will to learn." [9]
  5. When it comes to learning and retaining information, nothing beats writing things out by hand. [10] Keep a small notebook with you at all times to jot down questions and thoughts you have. Within these notes, you'll find all sorts of paths to engage your curiosity.
    • For example, while on a walk, you might be inspired by the connection that you seem to feel with the birds in the trees above you. Writing a note about it could inspire a story, a poem, or a song. It could also spur you to research communication between people and birds.
    • Writing by hand also activates your whole brain, so it can help prevent cognitive decline—just like curiosity does. Talk about a win-win!
  6. Often, things will become more interesting if you simply choose to focus on them. So put your phone on "do not disturb" and stick it in your pocket so you can keep your focus on the present moment . [11]
    • For example, you might do a walking meditation deepen your connection to the natural world around you.
    • Even places you visit frequently can become more interesting if you look at them from a different angle or focus on small details you haven't really paid attention to before.
    • Next time you're out, you might challenge yourself to observe at least one detail in each place you go that you've never noticed before.
  7. Memorization is the foundation of innovation and creativity. Looking up things all the time is really inefficient and doesn't allow you to progress. But if you already have that information memorized, it can serve as a jumping-off point for you to go in all sorts of different directions. [12]
    • Having lots of facts and information memorized also boosts your curiosity because it allows you to draw more connections between things and think of different ways of looking at problems.
  8. You can't be right all the time—the truth is, you've been wrong before and you'll be wrong again. To be more curious, value the truth over your own beliefs or your own pride in being right. If someone disagrees with you or presents evidence that proves you wrong, dig into it so that you understand it rather than rejecting it and getting defensive. [13]
    • Another aspect of this is admitting when you don't know something. You might feel ashamed or embarrassed that you don't know something you think you should, but just remember that everybody has to learn everything at some point.
    • Being curious requires you to be flexible and open-minded—but before that you have to be willing to admit that you don't know everything and you aren't right about everything.
  9. You've likely heard that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. It's also a great way to get really curious about the thing you're teaching. Not only will you potentially be answering questions from the person you're teaching, but you also might have questions come up on your own as you're explaining. [14]
  10. Spending time in nature is really nourishing—and it's a great way to stimulate your curiosity. Observing how plants and animals interact with each other naturally is interesting and can trigger all kinds of questions in your mind. [16]
    • As you're walking, invoke all of your senses. If you notice something, smell and touch it as well. This can give you more information to help you better understand it.
  11. Being comfortable is, in many ways, the exact opposite of being curious. If you're staying well within your comfort zone, you're not exploring anything new or imagining any other ways of doing things. It's easy for the comfort zone to become an entrenched rut if you don't make a concerted effort to break out of it on a regular basis. [17]
    • For example, if you've always avoided leading your book club because you have a fear of public speaking, you might volunteer to lead the session about one of your favorite books. Your confidence in the material will make it easier to overcome your fear.
    • This also means changing up your routine. For example, you might take a different route to work, get your morning coffee at a different café, or brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. All of these things have the effect of shaking the cobwebs off and giving you a somewhat different perspective.
  12. Solorzano notes that "children love new things." [18] But as you get older, you might find that you're more cautious about trying something new. Start by making a list of things you've always wanted to try, then make a commitment to yourself to try at least one of them within the next week or so. [19]
    • Trying new things also helps you cultivate a "beginner's mind," which means looking at things as though you're seeing them for the first time. Approaching the world from a beginner's mind is a great way to cultivate your curiosity. [20]
    • Trying a lot of new things will likely also result in you having very diverse interests. This gives you a lot of different potential ways to connect with people and also makes you really interesting! [21]
  13. When the people around you are curious, it will feel totally natural for you to be curious too. Your friends will encourage it and respect it. They'll engage with you, answer your questions, and validate your curiosity. [22]
    • Close friends and family members also give you a safe place to practice being curious because you know that they won't get upset if you ask personal questions. You can follow your curiosity with them without worrying that it could damage your relationship.
  14. A big part of being curious is recognizing that you don't always know what you want to know. That's why, if you want to be curious, it's important to venture widely, exposing yourself to everything and following up on anything that piques your interest. [23]
    • "Without judgment" means that you don't tell yourself that something is "out of your wheelhouse" or "not your area." You also don't tell yourself that it's silly or pointless to research something you're interested in.
    • This ultimately means that you have at least a passing familiarity with a lot of different things, so you'll be comfortable in more situations.
  15. People who are curious are willing to try different things before they decide for sure. Sometimes, you'll never know for sure which alternative is the best until you've tried all (or at least several) of them. [24]
    • Being curious is all about valuing the process of finding the solution more than the solution itself—get more out of the process by trying a lot of different things.
    • You can start small! For example, if you always order the same thing when you go to a particular restaurant, you might try ordering something different next time you go.
  16. The feeling of awe is something you experience when faced with something larger than yourself—something that overwhelms you and challenges you. Awe invokes humility, which puts you in the right frame of mind to be open and curious. [25]
    • Art of all sorts is capable of generating a feeling of awe. For some works, simply viewing a digital copy online is sufficient, although others are more awe-inspiring in person.
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Section 2 of 4:

What is curiosity?

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  1. People who are curious want to explore things they've never seen and places they've never been. They're often drawn to things they haven't experienced before rather than getting stuck in a routine. [26]
    • People who are curious are often more interested in the journey to finding the answer than the answer itself.
    • In fact, studies show that people who are more curious are more willing to stick with a puzzle until they discover the solution on their own rather than looking at the answer. [27]
    • Curiosity is a trait you're born with. As Solorzano notes, "children are innately curious about the natural world." [28]
    • If you feel as though your curiosity has diminished as you've aged, don't worry! Curiosity is also a skill that you can get better at.
Section 3 of 4:

Benefits of Curiosity

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  1. Being more curious boosts your overall brain activity to help you think more sharply and clearly. Curiosity is something that sort of lights your neural network up and activates your whole brain to get involved. This does wonderful things for the health of your brain and could even possibly delay the onset of diseases that deteriorate the brain, such as dementia. [29]
    • Boosting your brain health can in turn benefit your overall physical health because you're more inclined to take care of yourself and seek medical assistance when something seems off.
    • For example, if you feel a pain in your leg, you might get curious as to what's causing it. Internet research leads you to see a doctor who confirms the problem and gets you treatment. If you weren't curious, though, you might just shrug it off as nothing and ignore it until it got so bad that you couldn't.
  2. When you ask more questions, you get more answers that enable you to better understand who someone is and where they're coming from. All fo this information helps you relate to that person on a deeper level than you might have if you hadn't been curious about them. [30]
    • Even when someone is saying or doing something you don't agree with, being curious about their motivation will help you better understand why they're doing it.
  3. There's a strong relationship between curiosity and creativity, with highly creative people also tending to be highly curious people. [31] Increasing your curiosity can also make you more creative because you'll ask the questions that prompt you to use your imagination to come up with different alternatives.
    • Curious people also end up having a really broad knowledge base, which allows them to make novel connections between things that other people might not have thought of before.
  4. When you're curious about other people and ask them questions, you grow to learn a lot more about them and understand them in a deeper way, which deepens your relationship to them. Showing curiosity and vulnerability helps people trust you more and feel closer to you. [32]
    • Even with people who have a hard time getting close to others, curiosity led to closer relationships.
  5. If you're curious, you're going to be more likely to dig into difficulties and try to understand them. That makes it a lot more likely that you'll come away having learned something and changed your life for the better. [33]
    • You'll also tend to find it easier to imagine different solutions to a problem, which makes it easier for you to find your way out when others would feel they were stuck.
  6. Research shows that people who have high levels of curiosity also tend to have high levels of positive emotions and low levels of anxiety and negative emotions. Since new things make people feel good, it should come as no surprise that continually being curious about new things might lead to more happiness. [34]
    • Keep in mind that researchers are also aware that this could go the other way around—it could be that people who are happy tend to be more curious.
  7. Studies show that you're more likely to retain information that you learn while you're actively curious. Curiosity effectively causes your mind to act like a vortex, pulling in as much information as it can and holding on to it. [35]
  8. If you're curious, you're priming your brain to absorb and retain the information that you learn—you're setting yourself up to succeed! Asking questions and making sure you understand helps you reach the top of your game at work or at school. [36]
    • In fact, studies show that curiosity is a better predictor of academic success than intelligence. [37]
    • Curiosity triggers the release of dopamine, which essentially makes it easier for your brain to absorb and retain information. [38]
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Section 4 of 4:

What causes a lack of curiosity?

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  1. When you have a fear of the unknown, you'll likely be reluctant to try new things or look into new topics. Being comfortable with uncertainty is the first step to unleashing your curiosity. [39]
    • Other fears can also get in the way of curiosity. For example, you might not want to try something new because you're afraid you won't like it or you're afraid you'll be bad at it.
    • Overcome it: Journal about the fears that are keeping you from trying something new. Break those fears down and figure out where they came from so you can address the root causes.
  2. Phrases like "don't reinvent the wheel" come to mind here—when things have been done a certain way for a long time, people can become disinterested in experimenting with new or different ways to do those things. They assume that the way it's always been done has worked well enough or that it's too risky to change course. [40]
    • For example, you might drive the same way to work every day because you assume it's the quickest route, even though you've never actually checked it against other routes.
    • Overcome it: Whenever you encounter an assumption, ask yourself why it's done that way and imagine other ways to do the same thing. Think about what might or might not happen as a result. You might even try a few different alternatives to see if they're any better.
  3. Like assumptions, complacency develops when things seem to be going smoothly. This satisfaction with the situation can be dangerous to curiosity because it keeps you from trying any harder or exploring different alternatives. [41]
    • For example, if you know that you only need to make a C- on the final exam to get a B overall for a course, and you're satisfied with a B, you might not be curious about the information covered on the final.
    • In the example, complacency causes a lack of curiosity that keeps you from studying more and potentially making a much better grade in the course.
    • Overcome it: Start a gratitude practice to remind yourself of everything you have to be grateful for—this will keep you from taking things for granted, which can lead to complacency.
  4. When you have a device in your pocket that can provide you with the answer to any question, you never have to wonder about anything. As technology becomes more ubiquitous, you might find your curiosity continually stifled. [42]
    • Overcome it: Regularly turn off your phone and engage directly with people and with the world around you. Take a minute to think about and wonder about something before you go straight to the internet for the answer.
  5. If you're constantly surrounded by nose-to-the-grindstone sorts who think it's bad to question things, you're probably not going to be a very curious person. Even if they're not actively discouraging curiosity, they can still stifle your curiosity by not being very curious themselves. [43]
    • Parents, teachers, and other authority figures can also stifle curiosity in children, intentionally or not, by discouraging them from asking certain questions or pursuing an interest in certain things.
    • Overcome it: Surround yourself with open-minded and curious people who will encourage you to be curious as well.
  6. Studies show that people with high levels of curiosity tend to have lower levels of stress and anxiety. [44] But when you're anxious or stressed out, you can end up stuck in survival mode , which can really lower your curiosity.
    • Overcome it: Somewhat ironically, curiosity itself can serve as the antidote to stress! Practice curiosity intentionally by asking yourself throughout the day if you're interested in what you're seeing or hearing and whether you'd like to learn more. [45]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140197119301216
      2. ↑ https://bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/5-habits-increase-curiosity/
      3. ↑ https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/question-everything-why-curiosity-communications-secret-weapon
      4. ↑ https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/8-tips-to-develop-childrens-curiosity
      5. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201407/seven-ways-be-more-curious
      6. ↑ https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/are-you-listening-how-stay-open-curious-other-peoples-ideas
      7. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338514226_If_it%27s_important_then_I_am_curious_A_value_intervention_to_induce_curiosity
      8. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201407/seven-ways-be-more-curious
      9. ↑ Bianca Solorzano, M.Ed.. Infant Development & Montessori Consultant. Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.
      1. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-media/202403/writing-by-hand-can-boost-brain-connectivity
      2. ↑ https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/curiosity
      3. ↑ https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-the-roles-of-memorization-in-teaching-learning/2020/07
      4. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_stay_open_and_curious_in_hard_conversations
      5. ↑ https://medicine.llu.edu/academics/resources/brain-based-techniques-retention-information
      6. ↑ Bianca Solorzano, M.Ed.. Infant Development & Montessori Consultant. Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.
      7. ↑ https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/8-tips-to-develop-childrens-curiosity
      8. ↑ https://hbr.org/2013/12/get-out-of-your-comfort-zone-a-guide-for-the-terrified
      9. ↑ Bianca Solorzano, M.Ed.. Infant Development & Montessori Consultant. Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.
      10. ↑ https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/curiosity
      11. ↑ https://philosophyteachers.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/MillerBeginners_Mind.pdf
      12. ↑ https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/curiosity
      13. ↑ https://bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/5-habits-increase-curiosity/
      14. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201407/seven-ways-be-more-curious
      15. ↑ https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/curiosity
      16. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_inspire_humble_curiosity_in_your_students
      17. ↑ https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/curiosity
      18. ↑ https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/x5hgc
      19. ↑ Bianca Solorzano, M.Ed.. Infant Development & Montessori Consultant. Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.
      20. ↑ https://theconversation.com/curiosity-changes-the-brain-to-boost-memory-and-learning-32296
      21. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_surprising_benefits_of_curiosity
      22. ↑ https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/513
      23. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_surprising_benefits_of_curiosity
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      27. ↑ https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/curiosity
      28. ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691611421204
      29. ↑ https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(18)30273-X
      30. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_inspire_humble_curiosity_in_your_students
      31. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_curiosity_can_help_us_overcome_disconnection
      32. ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_curiosity_can_help_us_overcome_disconnection
      33. ↑ https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/curiosity
      34. ↑ https://bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/5-habits-increase-curiosity/
      35. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11118797/
      36. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-cultures/202305/how-curiosity-can-help-ease-anxiety

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