Curiosity did not kill the cat, it invented it

As a formal definition, Curiosity is a quality related to inquisitive thinking – exploration, investigation, and learning.

Curiosity is the process of being curious, learning and the desire, and appetite to acquire information, knowledge and skill.

Curiosity is the driving force behind all human development, such as developments in science, medicine, language, industry, everything seen on earth today was driven by curiosity and imagination.

Research has shown that curiosity is not a fixed attribute amongst humans and can be nurtured and developed.

Daniel Berlyne recognised three classes of variables playing a role in evoking curiosity: psychophysical, ecological, and collative. 

Psychophysical variables correspond to physical intensity, ecological variables to motivational significance and task relevance. Collative variables involve a comparison between different stimuli or features, which may be actually perceived or which may be recalled from memory. 

Berlyne mentioned four collative variables: novelty, complexity, uncertainty, and conflict (though he suggested that all collative variables probably involve conflict). 

Additionally, he considered three variables supplementary to novelty: change, surprisingness, and incongruity. 

Curiosity may not only be aroused by the perception of some stimulus associated with the aforementioned, but also by a lack of stimulation, out of boredom.

Curiosity has been recognised as an important intellectual (epistemic) virtue, due to the role that it plays in motivating people to acquire knowledge and understanding.

It has also been considered an important moral virtue, as curiosity can help humans find meaning in their lives and to cultivate a sense of care about others and things in the world.

Positive psychology suggests that positive emotions (such as happiness, and perhaps interest and anticipation) broaden one’s awareness and encourage novel, exploratory thoughts and actions, that promote broadened behaviour and strengthen over time, which enhance survival.

For example, curiosity about a landscape becomes navigational knowledge, pleasant interactions with a stranger become a supportive friendship, and aimless physical play becomes valuable exercise. 

The creative process itself involves a widening of the mind, building of personal resources, and both sides of the emotional spectrum.

The creative process is often discussed in two stages: defocused attention, followed by focused attention.

Defocused attention occurs when a person is able to see a wide range of possibilities and take in as much information as possible. 

Focused attention takes place when more negative emotions are felt and causes people to analyse the possibilities they found during defocused attention. 

Without this process, concrete ideas do not form.

In a study I did about the mothers of dragons (mothers of very successful people) I found that the most important universal trait of all dragons is curiosity. 

And curiosity starts at home, a child first exploring the immediate surroundings and environment at home as they grow, which means children are exposed to their parents characters, interests, lifestyles and careers. Whatever they see and experience first sticks.

Children are born naturally curious. It’s a natural shared trait amongst most successful people, yet many people who start off as a curious child, become conditioned to a life of monotony and stagnation because their curiosity was snuffed at an early age and thus, too scared to further explore, found nothing that interested them to develop a passion. 

If curiosity is not snuffed, children have the time to explore, observe, imagine and ask questions. If they cannot find answers in a book, magazine or adult, they let their imaginations fly and come up with different theories, and then test those theories.

In his quest for flying, to apply the principles of bird flight to endow man with the capacity to fly, Leonardo Da Vincy observed the flight of birds and became more curious. Isaac Newton observed the apple falling from the tree and became curious as to why it fell. 

Charles Darwin observed different plant and animal species and was curious how they evolved. Ford investigated a wrist watch by taking it apart, which sparked his interest in engineering, building cars.

All successful people dragons have similar experiences, even those without scientific influences. 

For instance, Gabrielle Coco Chanel found what she explored at the convent as a child to start sewing and created her fashion brand Chanel and rocket it to success inspired by the number 5, found in the pathway leading up to the convent, which was considered essential to her achievements. 

Charlie Chaplin went with his mother to the singing halls and when she could not find her voice one night, pushed Charlie on stage to perform instead which he did with thundering applause – at age 5. It’s not that he had the talent, it was all he knew as he saw and experienced from his mother. 

Psychologist, behaviourist, author, inventor, and social philosopher BF Skinner said, “When you run into something interesting, drop everything else and study it. The feeling of being interested acts as a kind of neurological signal, directing you to fruitful areas of inquiry.”