Understanding Curiosity: The Knowledge Emotion

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. —Bernard Baruch

Introduction:

People often categorize themselves as either naturally curious or incurious, assuming it to be a fixed trait that they are born with. However, research tells a different story. In this blog post, we will delve into the essence of curiosity, to understand how it works and how we can harness its power to our advantage.

What is Curiosity Anyway?

Curiosity is defined as “a strong desire to know or learn something.” While this definition suffices, it fails to explain the mechanics of curiosity that we can use to leverage it effectively. Let’s try to understand it with an example. Consider the following questions:

• Do you know about Deinonychus and where it was found?
• Do you know of a dinosaur whose fossil was found right in your state?

Most likely, the first question failed to spark much curiosity (unless you’re a dinosaur expert). However, the second question likely piqued your interest significantly more. Why is that? This brings us to the concept of “information gaps.”

Information gaps represent voids in our knowledge that our brains instinctively seek to fill, striving to complete the puzzle. If the gap is too vast, the topic may seem too novel to engage us and thus make us less curious. Similarly, if we possess exhaustive knowledge about a subject, curiosity dwindles as well because of too much familiarity. The sweet spot lies in the middle which we can call “the curiosity zone”, where emotional receptivity to learning is at its peak.

Now coming back to our example, the second question has a link to our existing knowledge about our state thus we can sense an information gap in our knowledge when we don’t know the answer. This made us a lot more curious.

In essence, to be curious about a topic, one must possess foundational knowledge just enough to create an information gap which in turn fuels curiosity. Often, when individuals say they are incurious, it’s not because of a lack of inherent curiosity but rather an absence of prerequisite knowledge to create an information gap that leads to curiosity.

How to Utilize Information Gaps:

When striving to stimulate curiosity about a subject, start by creating information gaps. The simplest method is to see how the new information relates to your existing knowledge. Metaphors and analogies often evoke “aha” moments by creating and filling in information gaps between your old and new knowledge.

Renowned authors like Agatha Christie strategically commence novels with mysterious scenes that create information gaps, keeping readers engaged and curious. The same goes with directors of movies and TV series, great professors, teachers and presenters in general, who start with interesting questions or facts or figures.

Conclusion:

Understanding how curiosity works empowers you to utilize information gaps effectively, fueling a continuous thirst for knowledge. By recognizing the relationship between existing knowledge and the desire for further understanding, you can cultivate curiosity and embark on a journey of joyful learning.