Discomforting Curiosity

I have always delighted in the feeling of curiosity. I've written about the value of curiosity several times on this blog. I've described my sense of inquisitiveness about numerous things in my immediate environment, as well as in the wider world. The dictionary's definition of curiosity is “a strong desire to know or learn something.” The word's root is the Latin word curiosus, which means “careful.” I find it fascinating that our modern usage of the word curiosity stems from being careful. I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds appropriate.

I live in the woods. I live a simple life that provides ample time for exploring the natural world around me. My scientific training predisposes me to seek explanations for things I observe in my world. Countless times I have paused to look at my environment and wondered what is really going on. How did nature arrive at the thing I'm seeing? What led to it? Why does this animal behave as it does? I find this behavior to be mysterious. How can I learn what causes it? The internet is an invaluable resource to answer many of these questions, but I also know that if I take the time to watch and be open, an understanding may come.

I have always greeted these questions with an enthusiastic feeling of interest and wonder. I wonder why that bird does that. I wonder about the meaning of life. I wonder what's going on around all those stars out there. I wonder about the cognitive differences between humans and other animals. So much wonder!

A recent scientific blog on National Public Radio by Tania Lombrozo addressed this issue of curiosity—asking, curiously, whether the feeling is a negative or a positive one. Some people, she writes, experience curiosity as a negative emotion, while others respond positively. I was very intrigued by her blog, because I've never felt negatively about curiosity.

She cited recent research that looked into why this contrasting response occurs. It turns out that those who feel positive about their curiosity tend look upon the situation with anticipation; they look forward to learning something new. Those who feel negative, however, often feel frustrated about the situation; they are unsatisfied about being in the dark.

Lombrozo points out that curiosity arises when we notice a gap in our knowledge. We want to close that gap. We want to know. So curiosity is all about learning... coming to know.

So why do some people feel negative about their curiosity, while others look forward to the pleasure of finding out why? The research shows that the main factor that divides the two camps is a function of the time it will take to satisfy one's curiosity. Those who don't like to wait will focus on their not knowing; they will focus on that gap, and they don't like it. Those who don't mind the wait focus on the anticipation of learning something new, and thus are more positive and eager.

It seems to me that a major factor dividing these two groups is that some people want to know, while others seek to learn. Those seeking to know are motivated by finding an answer and thus concluding the inquiry. They're mostly interested in answers. Those who want to learn, however, see the process of understanding as an open-ended, unfinished process. Once they close the gap and learn something, they eagerly greet the additional gaps that pop up, to continue on the endless learning curve. The inquiry for them is never concluded. There's always more to learn. I find that comforting. In contrast, some people—those who want definitive answers—seem to be uncomfortable with the gap.