Curiosity develops from childhood, when the child asks a lot of questions. He grows up in an unfamiliar world and wants answers. Even with the help of his parents, he performs actions out of curiosity, learning to own experience. He can't be stopped.

But curiosity dies too soon. We focus on everyday knowledge and begin to think that their supply will be enough for the rest of our lives. This is due to both laziness and cognitive dissonance: not to experience internal contradictions, many phenomena in the world are easier to explain using primitive cause-and-effect concepts. Indeed, why learn complex economic theories, if everything is clear with the exchange rate, oil prices and the financial policy of the state. Why teach the theory and history of geopolitics, if everything can be explained by a conspiracy of masons or reptilians. And there are a lot of "why's". We grow up and lose our curiosity, simply because there is neither time nor desire for all this.

Remember when you last time after reading a book or watching a movie, at least go to Wikipedia and find out information about it creative project? When were you so interested in a person that you didn’t judge him for strange ideas, but simply listened and enjoyed the conversation? You probably don't do this often.

From a practical point of view, curiosity seems superfluous. That's right, why waste time and effort figuring out how the world works when you can focus on really important things, for example, how to earn a lot of money? But such thinking limits a person, and from the point of view of practice, curiosity is important.

Majority successful people inquisitive. They read great amount books, got to know different people and they are still interested in a lot of what is going on in the world. There is, of course, the possibility that they would have become successful without this quality, but what if they became so thanks to him?

Why should you be curious?

According to Wikipedia, curiosity is an unconscious desire for knowledge, inherent not only to humans, but also to many living beings. It is an impetus to the knowledge of the new. This is an interest devoid of rational grain.

Despite the fact that this unconscious desire, it can be developed, which we will talk about a little later. And now for the benefits.

Curiosity helps to get rid of stereotypes

When we are curious, we do not divide people into races and gender, but perceive a person without stereotypical bindings. And we certainly do not hang labels based on a couple of special cases known to us.

Stereotypes can refer not only to people, but also, for example, to methods, techniques and approaches. If you are curious, then start experimenting. And there is a high probability of getting a completely new idea.

Relieves stress and emotional burnout

The inquisitive nature of a person is the fuel that helps to get rid of stress. This is especially evident in relationships with people. When you are balanced and inquisitive, you are unlikely to aggravate the conflict if the interlocutor expresses some unpopular thought. Most likely, you will first want to know why he thinks this way.

You can any stressful situation viewed as curious, not painful. Look for new approaches, change tactics, try to understand what works and what doesn't.

Develops cognitive functions

Not needed Scientific research to notice one thing behind you: if you are curious, then the information is absorbed much better and remembered for a long time. And vice versa: if it is boring, then it is forgotten almost immediately.

When you are curious, you tend to develop a random thought that comes to mind. For example, search for information on the Internet, read a book, conduct a small experiment.

If you were denied a job after an interview, then you will begin to analyze what happened on it. Connect all brain resources to understand cause and effect relationships and find out what you did wrong.

Is the engine of intellectual achievement

This is what makes us keep learning, trying again and moving forward. We talk a lot about, but at the same time it is curiosity that is the fuel for her.

It would also be useful to recall that many greatest discoveries made out of curiosity.

Increases productivity

A person gets tired more slowly if he is curious. He does not perceive work as a duty and does not consider studying flour. In this state, he can be for hours and at the same time forget about sleep and rest.

Have you ever worked on a long term project? If so, then you know how hard it is to work on it if it seems insipid and uninteresting. And how productivity increases if the task is interesting.

So, how do you develop this quality in yourself?

How to become curious

Read books on various topics

curiosity demands basic knowledge. It is difficult for us to develop this skill if we do not fully understand what is happening around.

There are people who only read fantasy. Or detectives. Or gardening magazines. Don't get hung up on one thing, read them all:

• about the Renaissance;
• about the Vikings;
• about how the Internet works;
• about the fashion of the 1920s;
• about how to start your own business.

Surprisingly, all this information will not only make you interesting person(which for some is the goal of life), but it will also help to find the so-called intersections: this is when you understand that a book about the history of Rome helped come up with an idea in the field of fashion.

Vary your interests

Leonardo da Vinci was a genius who was interested in everything around. Here is an excerpt from his diary:

• Learn Maestro Gianetto's crossbow.
• Draw Milan.
• Ask Bendeto Portinari (a Florentine trader) what he means when he says he found ice in Flanders.
• Ask Maestro Antonio how the mortars are placed in the bastions during the day and how they are at night.
• Find a hydraulic master and ask him to tell you how to restore the castle, canal and mill in the Lombard manner.
• Ask maestro Giovanni Frances about measuring the Sun.

Can you imagine how crazy good sense was this person? What was his personality? Da Vinci was probably the most versatile person in history, which is worth striving for and all those involved in self-development.

Learn new words and incorporate them into your vocabulary

New words can ignite fantasy and change thinking. As an exercise, take a dictionary and write down 100 words from it that you find interesting or curious. Find out what they mean, learn about their origin. For a week, insert them into conversations, or at least start thinking about using them.

Visit bookstores, libraries and museums

Everything is simple here - these are sources of knowledge available to everyone.

Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions

Some people are afraid to ask questions so as not to look stupid. But that's what makes them stupid in many ways.

Stupid questions, even if asked to oneself, direct thinking in a completely different direction. They can help solve many problems.

Focus on short term goals

Of course, long-term goals are needed if you want to succeed. But when you develop curiosity, it is still important to include the thinking of the child. He does not think about what will happen even tomorrow, he is interested in what is happening here and now.

Short-term goals are those that are set for a period of no more than one month. With the help of them, you can set up life experiments, gain interest in new areas, become interested in something completely insignificant.

Use the 20% rule

Google has introduced a 20% rule for its employees. It states that each employee has the right to dedicate 20% of their time to creating projects that they consider important.

Think about what you can devote 1/5 of your working day to. This activity does not have to lead to any material result. It is important that it brings satisfaction and helps to cope with boredom - the main enemy of development.

Start an idea diary

Ideas come to our mind all the time. Mostly stupid, of course, but that doesn't matter. Record everything.

The topic is completely irrelevant. Thinking about how to take over the world? Write about it. Do you know how to solve some problem of mankind? Write about it too. How more ideas, all the better. This exercise will allow you to always notice details from the world around you and immediately become interested in them.

Start with a question

The best way to develop curiosity is to keep asking questions. Ask yourself questions about what you hear, what you see, what you feel, what you smell. Find out why you have formed a certain demeanor in certain situations. Ask questions about people's behavior, motivations, values, ways to solve their problems. Absolutely everything!

When you ask questions, you don't take everything for granted. If you don’t ask, then you live on autopilot, without realizing that there is a lot of hidden behind in the usual way of things. Questions help to better understand the essence of things and enjoy the knowledge gained.

Ask yourself:

• What if…?
• Why?
• When?

A simple example from life: they call you and say that this is a telephone survey. You answer questions, hang up. Ask yourself:

• Who invented telephone surveys? What about surveys in general? (do not go to Google, show your imagination)
• Why is the survey conducted this way?
• Why do they need it?
• How can it be improved?
• What if it hadn't been invented? What then?

Yes, that's right, you can ask yourself such questions about everything. This will not only increase your mood and cognitive skills, but also allow you to see how interesting this world is.

Don't take yourself seriously

Children are not afraid to look stupid. They don't care, in general. Adults, on the other hand, put on masks, despite the fact that sometimes it brings only troubles.

If we are too serious, we are not able to relax and let in new knowledge. It has long been known that many discoveries were made during the holidays. Creativity does not like tension.

Don't think anything is boring

As soon as we put the label “Boring”, we immediately lose interest in what is happening. Try to give the situation or person a chance. Observe, ask a few questions: to yourself or to the interlocutor.

Curious people are unlikely to call anything boring. Instead they always see open door into a new, exciting world. Even if they don't have time to explore it right now, they will leave it open.

Challenge yourself

Each gives you relevant knowledge, ideas and perspectives that will expand your understanding of the world around you. This is what is needed to develop curiosity.

Become a detective

Play the role of a detective:

• Pay attention to every little thing.
• Try to understand why the person behaves the way they do.
• Look for a cause and effect relationship.

A good detective pays attention to any detail and starts spinning it to get to the point. It is not necessary to disturb other people at the same time, you can simply observe the world around you or yourself.

Find out how something works

In the text above, the word "hydraulics" was encountered. Do you know what it is? If not, find out - the Internet is at hand.

How does an internal combustion engine work?

How is the Universe arranged?

How does electricity work?

Be interested in everything in the world, and then try to find answers. Never let the flame of your curiosity die out.

Try to do something new every day out of pure curiosity. . Be surprised by the events that take place, and do not brush off the ordinary: “I already know this.” Often a person dies spiritually earlier than physically. When he loses interest in what is happening, he begins to degrade. His brain works at a minimum, and he himself is not able to realize even part of his potential. He is limited to work from 9 am to 6 pm and does not know what to do in the evening. Make an intellectual effort and get out of this vicious circle using the tips presented in our article.

We wish you good luck!

Curiosity is inherent in brilliant personalities. Many recognized geniuses have had this trait. important to each of us. There are several reasons that prove this.

Curiosity raises mental capacity. The mind of an inquisitive person is always in an active state, a person constantly asks questions and finds answers to them. The more often people use their mind, the more flexible and better it starts to work.

Curiosity allows you to discover new ideas. In the absence of curiosity, a fresh idea, even if it is in front of a person, is not recognized by his mind. For this reason, many great ideas have gone unnoticed.

Curiosity helps to open up new possibilities and see new facets that are usually invisible. Only an inquisitive mind can notice this.

Curiosity increases interest in life. An inquisitive person cannot live boring life. There is always something interesting, worthy of attention and study.

Maybe with a few tips.

1.Keep your mind receptive.
This is necessary condition to develop curiosity. Learn, forget what you have learned and learn again. Be prepared to change your mind about various known facts which may turn out to be wrong.

2. Don't take anything for granted.
Look deeper under outer shell some parts of the world. Otherwise, you will lose your curiosity. Don't take it for granted what's going on.

3. Keep asking questions.
The best way to get to the bottom of things is to ask questions. You have to find out what it is, why it was made the way it was, when was it made, and by whom? How does it work and why was it created? These questions are a sign of an inquisitive person and his assistants.

4. Don't think anything is boring.
If you think so, then you slam one of the doors of your possibilities. An inquisitive person always sees this door to an interesting and unexplored world. If there is no time to study it, then he will not slam such a door, but leave it open to return here later.

5. Learn with interest.
Do not perceive learning as a heavy duty, otherwise you will not want to study the subject in depth. Motivate yourself to study with interest. Then there will be great desire plunge into it with your head and learn everything better.

All children are naturally curious. From birth they were given one very important property- the desire to know and understand the world. I.P. Pavlov called this desire "reflex what is it?". It is thanks to this reflex that children learn the world, they develop speech, thinking, and intelligence. Therefore, we can safely say that the development of curiosity begins in infancy.

In addition to curiosity, children also develop a cognitive interest, which is simply necessary while studying at school. If the cognitive interest to the end preschool age is formed insufficiently, this may lead to serious problems at school, most likely the lack of cognitive interest will lead to school failure. Curiosity and curiosity are different forms relationship to the environment.

Curiosity – special shape cognitive activity, the undifferentiated focus of the child on the knowledge of surrounding objects, phenomena, on mastering activities (S.L. Rubinshtein). This definition says that it is not important for an inquisitive child what he will learn, the main thing is to learn.

Children's curiosity is very well characterized by R. Kipling's poem:

I have six servants

Agile, remote.

And all that I see around -

I know everything from them.

They are at my behest

Are in need.

They are called How and Why

Who, What, When and Where.

I'm on the seas and on the forests

I chase faithful servants.

Then I work on my own

And I give them leisure.

I give them rest from worries, -

Let them not get tired.

They are a greedy people,

Let them eat and drink.

But I have a young friend

Young person.

She is served by hundreds of thousands of servants,

And there is no rest for everyone!

She runs like dogs

In bad weather, rain and darkness

Five thousand Where, seven thousand How,

One hundred thousand Why.

(Translated by S.Ya. Marshak)

cognitive interest - this is the desire of the child to learn new things, to find out the incomprehensible about the qualities of objects, phenomena, reality, in the desire to delve into their essence, to find the connections and relationships between them (T.A. Kulikova). That is, the basis of cognitive interest is active mental activity. Cognitive interest allows you to study longer certain activities, increasing the stability of attention to this activity and activating mental activity. In addition, due to the cognitive interest in the child, positive emotions- surprise, the joy of success, which give confidence in their abilities.

The development of curiosity and cognitive interests does not occur spontaneously and does not happen by itself. curiosity and cognitive interests are usually brought up. Means, education of curiosity and cognitive interests - this is a specially organized systematic activity aimed at the formation of cognitive activity and the desire of the child to learn about the world around him.

Initially, children learn about the world around them through emotional communication with close adults. But truly cognitive activity begins to manifest itself and develop from early childhood, i.e. since the year. From about a year old, the child begins to master the skills of upright walking, which is why the surrounding objects become more accessible. The kid is attracted by closed cabinets with various things, electrical sockets, wires, all kinds of vials and bottles, and just look, something will open, scatter, spill or try. Curiosity in a child early age develops through objective activity, i.e. through actions with objects. All the behavior of the baby at this age can be called "exploratory". How does this manifest itself? exploratory behavior? Imagine that you were invited to a place unfamiliar to you, left alone in some office and asked to wait. What will you do there? For example, I doubt that you will just stand stupidly and look at one point. Most likely, you will consider the objects around you. If you see, for example, a clock on the wall, then most likely you will look at what time it is, if you see some papers on the table that are not hidden from your gaze, then most likely you will try to read the contents of these papers, the window will interest to look and see what is happening on the street, etc. Thus, we can say that all objects in an unfamiliar room prompt us to act with them. Adults, as a rule, behave this way in an unfamiliar room, but small children behave this way almost all the time. This behavior is called exploratory behavior. In his substantive activity Children are constantly experimenting. They look at what happens if I do this ... At this time it is very important to communicate with the child and show him more and more new actions with objects. A child should not be punished if he climbed into the cupboard, took some things without asking, pulled out all the pans from the cupboard, spilled flour or cereals, etc. So the child shows his cognitive interest and satisfies his cognitive need. Of course, you cannot allow a child to do absolutely everything, there are things that threaten his life or health. Therefore, it is better not to leave the child alone, especially if there are a lot of dangerous items. It is necessary to explain to the child why certain objects cannot be taken, or why certain actions cannot be performed. After about 1.5 years, the child will understand you and will still say to you "Ai - ai - ai!".

The development of curiosity and cognitive interests of the child passes to new level when a child masters speech, then his cognitive activity also changes, more precisely, cognitive activity the child moves to a qualitatively new stage of development. With the help of speech, the knowledge of children is generalized, the ability to analyze is formed. Now the child communicates with the adult to establish personal relationships and to satisfy their cognitive need. At this time, the child begins to ask a bunch of questions that cannot be ignored. Since ancient times, the questions of the child were considered the main form of manifestation of curiosity and cognitive interests. However, studies by S.L. Rubinshtein and A.I. Sorokina revealed that different motives can underlie children's questions. All children's questions can be divided into two large groups: cognitive and communicative. Communication issues the child asks to attract attention and establish contact with an adult. For example, my daughter is now asking me a lot of questions of exactly this kind: “What is your uncle’s name?”, “What is the girl’s name?”, “What is the dog’s name?”, Or on the way to the clinic she asks: “Mom, can you listen to me there?” will they?" Such questions arise in children during periods of anxiety, joy or fear. They require a particularly sensitive attitude from adults - it is important to understand what worries the child, what he is afraid of, fears and calm him down in time.

Children ask cognitive questions because of their curiosity when they lack knowledge, seek to acquire new knowledge or clarify existing information. The source of such questions is the varied experience of the child. An example of such questions: “Why does the wind blow?”, “Why is the moon in the sky at night, then the month?”, “Where do the stars disappear from the sky during the day?” etc.

The cognitive interest of the child is reflected in his games, drawings, stories and other activities. Therefore, you must provide the child with such activities. For example, my daughter became interested in drawing. Therefore, we try to draw on different types paper and different materials. We drew on colored paper, on napkins, on a newspaper, in addition to this, I purchased table theater from a tree that needs to be painted, and we painted the characters of fairy tales and decorations that are made of wood. Moreover, we painted them with colored pencils, and paints, and wax crayons. It turned out great and interesting. Recently painted crafts from salt dough. In winter, we drew with a branch on the snow, and now we draw with school crayons on the asphalt, on the blackboard. I even allowed my daughter to draw with my lipstick - she really liked it, caused delight and surprise. And yet, from time to time I support this cognitive interest by talking about drawing. Many boys are interested in cars. You can expand the cognitive interest of the baby by acquiring different vehicles for him. Here fit games with these vehicles, observing transport on the street, drawing transport, you can offer to make an application or mold a car from plasticine, offer a finished coloring book, etc. In addition, of course, stories and stories about transport, watching cartoons, etc. will help. The curiosity and cognitive interests of the child develop in almost all of his Everyday life. Therefore, even the smallest detail should not be overlooked. You should not seat the child at the TV or computer, it is better to take a longer walk with him and watch what is happening on the street. If you are busy with business, then attract a child to help you, believe me, it will be extremely interesting for him to show his qualities not at the computer screen, but by making a feasible contribution to some useful business. Spend your weekends in nature. In summer, it can be walks in the forest or a picnic on the river bank. Organize fishing, go for mushrooms, berries - these activities are useful not only for mental development child, but also simply irreplaceable for physical development. In winter, you can go sledding, skiing, go to the skating rink, build a snowman, etc. And in spring and autumn it is very interesting to run through puddles, launch boats, etc. And do not forget about creating a situation of success for the child, because the successful activity of the child is a stimulus for the development of cognitive interest.

Translation:

It's important to keep asking questions...
Do not lose your holy curiosity over the years.
Albert Einstein

Curiosity - characteristic genius personality. It is hardly possible to meet a giant of thought who is not an inquisitive person. Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman - they all had this trait. It is thanks to his curiosity that Richard Feynman became famous for his many adventures.

So why is curiosity important? Here are four reasons:

• It activates the mental faculties
  Curious people always asking questions and finding answers. Their mind is always active. Since the mind is like a muscle that gets stronger with frequent exercise, regular mental exercises stimulate your mental faculties.
• It helps the mind notice fresh ideas.
  When you are passionate about something, your mind tunes in to the appearance fresh ideas. As soon as ideas come, they are immediately recognized. If there is no curiosity, even the ideas that are right in front of you can be missed because the mind is not ready to perceive them. Just think how many ideas could be lost for this reason!
• It opens up new frontiers and possibilities.
  By being inquisitive, you can discover new facets and possibilities that are not usually seen. They are hidden behind the screen of everyday life, and it takes an inquisitive mind to look there and discover them.
• She makes life interesting
  The life of curious people cannot be called boring. It has no place for a monotonous existence. Something always grabs their attention and there is always something to have fun with. Instead of being bored, inquisitive people lead an active lifestyle.

Now that we know why curiosity is important, here are some tips for developing it:

1. Keep your mind receptive

This is a necessary step on the path to curiosity. Be ready to learn to learn, to forget and to learn again. Some of the facts you know may turn out to be wrong, and it is better to be prepared in advance to accept this possibility and change your mind.

2. Don't take anything for granted

If you just perceive outside world, without trying to look deeper, you will definitely lose your “holy curiosity”. Never take anything for granted. Try to look under the surface of what surrounds you.

3. Always ask questions

A sure way to look deeper is to ask questions: What is it? Why is it done this way? When was it done? Who invented? Where does it start? How does it work? "What", "why", "when", "who", "where" and "how" - best friends inquisitive people.

4. Don't call anything boring

In doing so, you close another door of opportunity. Curious people always see in front of them a door to an exciting new world. Even if in this moment they don't have time to study it, they will leave the door open to come back later.

5. Treat learning with interest

If you perceive learning as a heavy burden, you will not want to look at things deeper at all. It will only make the burden even heavier. But if you find a way to learn with interest, you will naturally want to learn more. Look at life through the prism of interest and participation and enjoy the process of learning.

6. Read a wide variety of literature

Don't focus on just one area of ​​your life; study others. This will open up new horizons for you, which in turn can arouse interest in further development. One of possible ways- read a variety of literature. Choose a book or magazine on a new topic for you, and let this text begin an amusing trip to the new world.

Thanks to the development of the Internet, simply knowing the facts has become almost useless. And this, in turn, made curiosity and the ability to ask questions especially valuable. Almost any entrepreneur will confirm that curiosity and interest are more important than thorough knowledge of the market.

If knowledge were at the heart of innovation, start-ups would be founded by intellectuals wise with experience and years. However, representatives of the scientific community are usually the least inclined to take risks.

Don't stop asking questions. Don't stop being curious. Never lose your naive faith that new discoveries are just around the corner.

And it's not just about the internet. Curiosity has always been more important than erudition. Einstein, for example, did not know some widely known facts because he wanted to free his brain for more important activities- ask questions and present.

How to develop curiosity

Of course, some are born more inquisitive than others, but this trait can be developed. The school usually tries to eradicate this quality from us, so formal education will not help you. You will have to.

play

Try this simple game curiosity when sitting in a coffee shop. Try to calculate how much revenue the coffee shop received during the time you were there. Then imagine how much the owners spend on rent, salaries for employees, food, and what kind of profit remains in the end. Then you will wonder how long they will last if things continue in the same vein. And there you will already imagine the next three establishments that will take this place when the coffee shop goes bankrupt.

Be curious at work

Inquisitive employees are constantly learning, trying, and coming up with new ideas that can benefit the company. Don't be afraid to be curious. Even abstract questions that seem to have nothing to do with your day-to-day responsibilities will help you develop and increase your value as an employee.

Don't focus on learning

Learning something new is much easier and faster than we used to think. Of course, when we try to learn something just for the sake of prestige, the process becomes slow and painful. But in a burst of curiosity, you can learn at breakneck speed.

So take an interest in everything. Be curious. And don't forget that explosive growth comes from curiosity, not knowledge.