Curiosity is an Underrated Skill

People always talk about intelligence like it's the thing that matters most… like getting good grades, high test scores, and generally knowing the right answers. Those things definitely have their place. But honestly, I think curiosity is a lot more valuable than people give it credit for.

I've met people who know a ton, but they never really ask questions. They already think they have the answer before the conversation even starts. Then I've met people who are just genuinely curious about everything.

Those are usually the people I end up learning the most from.

Growing up, I was lucky to be around people from a lot of different countries. Looking back, I think one of the best things that came from that wasn't learning facts about different cultures… it was learning to ask questions without feeling weird about it. Like: Why do you celebrate that holiday? What's school like where you used to live? How do you say that in your language? Most people are actually excited to answer if they know you're asking because you're interested, not because you're judging them.

I think curiosity also makes it easier to change your mind. That's something I've been realizing more recently. If your goal is just to be right all the time, you're probably going to ignore information that challenges what you already believe. But if your goal is to understand something better, changing your mind isn't losing. It's kind of the whole point.

The more I read about sustainability, the more this has happened. There are things I used to believe that I don't anymore. Not because somebody argued with me, but because I kept asking questions and found better answers. I'm sure that'll keep happening, and hopefully it does.

I don't think curiosity is about knowing a little bit about everything. I think it's being comfortable admitting when you don't know something.

Ironically, I think that's how you end up learning the most.