By Paul Kaye
PSR Contributor
Tuesday May the 17th, 2016
Being Curious Matters
To be curious means you’re open to possibilities. You have a desire to know and learn. Curiosity is among the most important traits of successful talent. Throughout history, the greatest talents have always been inquisitive. In fact, the most intelligent people – those so called geniuses – all had an abundance of curiosity pulsing through their veins. Albert Einstein, he was curious. Thomas Edison… definitely curious. It is our curiosity that propels us to question how and why things are the way they are. It is what drives us to question ‘what if…’ It is the reason we wonder about things.
Curiosity is prevalent in all of the greatest minds. You need to be curious to succeed.
Curiosity keeps your mind active. Curiosity leads you to ask questions and to seek out answers. Our minds are a muscle that becomes stronger through continual use. Being curious is like lifting weights for your mind. It helps to condition and strengthen your thoughts and overall intelligence. Without possessing a healthy dose of curiosity, your mind remains passive; simply receiving whatever information may happen to come your way rather than desperately seeking to gather more.
Being curious keeps you alert to new ideas. A curious mind is always seeking new data; it’s like a sponge waiting to absorb as much as it can, constantly on the look-out for new ideas and possibilities. People who lack curiosity are those who tend to keep their heads down and do their work. They are so focused on doing a good job and following the processes laid out for them that new ideas pass right before them. They are oblivious. A curious person is always attuned to what ‘could be.’ They want to look beneath the surface and discover the possibilities. It is likely that curious people were the children taking apart their toys to see how they worked.
Curious people have more fun. Being curious brings more excitement to your life. Life is boring when you experience the same thing over and over again; when you rigidly follow routine. Curious people don’t have dull lives. There is always something new to attract their attention. They seek out new experiences just to see what they are like. They surround themselves with interesting characters to see what they may learn. Curious people don’t sit on the couch. They’re not glued to their mobile phones. They do things. Lots of things.
Curiosity is something we are all born with. It exists within all of us. We all have the desire to learn. The difference is that some people choose to embrace their inner curiosity while some people suppress it. The problem with suppressing your curiosity is that it stops you from growing. If you want to develop your own levels of curiosity consider the following:
- Stay open to ideas. Keep an open mind. Be willing to learn. In fact be willing to unlearn as much as you learn. Often when we discover new information, we get stuck on the notion it must be true, but often what we learn isn’t always the whole truth, or the truth has changed over time. Curious people challenge what they already know and the assumptions they have just as much as they seek to learn completely new things. The more open minded you are the more rich your life will be.
- Ask questions, lots of them. Curious people are relentless in asking questions. They want to really understand what’s going on. They have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. You can develop your curiosity by asking more questions. What? Why? When? Who? Where? Use questions to poke around and turn over some stones. Understand all the nuances of something rather than just accepting what is first offered to you. Explore your thoughts.
- Read more. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, read some romance novels or books on new age medicine. If you’re a fan of murder mystery stories, try some autobiographies instead. One thing that curious people are always doing is exploring worlds that they don’t normally come into contact with. They don’t keep doing the same things over and over. They challenge themselves and their comfort zones. Reading is an easy way to jump into new worlds. Choose genres and subjects you know very little about and start learning about that topic. Feed your mind with new information. Constantly.
- Things are NEVER boring. When you label something you tell your mind how to think about it – you are programming your own thinking. If you put a negative label like ‘boring’ on something, then your mind will assume it is not something for you, even if you haven’t tried it. Curious people will never label something as boring before they try it. Curious people see every experience as a chance to learn something new. To experience a new world. To expand their horizons.
Curiosity helps us to evolve as individuals. It is the spark that helps us learn and grow. It compels us to discover not only the world around us but the wider world. Your creativity and imagination are tied to your curiosity. Creativity comes from asking questions and wondering ‘what if?’ The indicator of creativity comes from how curious people are. If you are curious about the world and seek out new experiences, you find unique ways to link information. You may take two seemingly contradicting ideas and weld them together to do something that was previously unimaginable. Steve Jobs wondered if customers could appreciate design as well as use technology. He welded together the idea of elegant design and technology. Shakespeare wondered about comedy and tragedy. He took two opposite ideas and welded them together to create some of the greatest stories ever told.
When looking to recruit talent to your team, forget the traditional competencies and seek out curiosity. The best are always curious. They think at a higher level and are adaptable to change. They are almost always highly intelligent. Curious people have more compelling stories to share. They have experienced diverse events that have shaped their thinking. Curious people change your business for the better. If you’re a talent looking to progress, focus on being more curious. Develop an inquisitive nature. Be open to possibilities. Try things and ask lots of questions.
The best talents are curious people. It’s that simple.
About Paul Kaye
Originally from England, Paul spent nearly a decade programming radio stations in the UK before moving to Canada in 2012. While working for Newcap Radio, Paul programmed Classic Hits, Hot-AC and CHR formats in Vancouver & Calgary. Paul was also Newcap’s National Talent Development Director, tasked with improving performance across all content teams, overseeing syndication and leading talent acquisition. In 2016, he joined Rogers Media, as National Talent Coach and National Format Director (CHR). Paul was somehow named International PD of the year in 2016 (vote re-count pending) and is a certified coach. Paul lives in Toronto and can be reached at ka*******@ma**.com
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