“Curiosity is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans and other animals.[1][2] Curiosity is heavily associated with all aspects of human development, in which derives the process of learning and desire to acquire knowledge and skill.” Source: Wikipedia

Being curious is healthy. It makes you happier, more empathetic, better performing and stronger in your relationships. But we also have a tremendous need for control. Especially now, with all the changes and uncertainties around us, we want more and more control. Understandable, yet a pity. Because the urge for control suppresses our curiosity. We are less and less open to the unknown. We prefer everything to be predictable. And therefore our healthy curiosity disappears….

The childlike curiosity

Taste, feel, sniff, look, listen… children are by nature immensely curious. Without expectations, they step into the unknown world. Every animal, flower, bite and step is a new discovery. They are amazed with each new discovery. And when one child discovers something, the other child wants it too. This is how we learn, how we grow and how we make life one big, exciting voyage of discovery.

The more we learn, the less we want to discover

The older we get, the more information is stored in our brains. Knowledge, facts, experiences…. This is useful, because it means we don’t have to discover, for example, whether we like ginger ice cream or not every day. However, because we have less to discover, we also have less need to discover. In short, our curiosity stimulus declines.

The stored knowledge in our brain is enormously dominant. For more than 95% of everything we see or experience, our brain automatically comes up with an interpretation or an explanation. If we see a coffee cup, our brain automatically fills in that it must contain coffee. For a child, such a coffee cup is still a big discovery. What will it contain? Milk, lemonade, marbles, flowers? Everything is still possible.

The adult need for explanations

Every time we see, hear, smell, taste or feel something, our brain comes up with a meaning. Objects, images, sounds and emotions no longer surprise us. Our brain is immediately ready with a meaning and a logical explanation. Only when we are aware of what our brain is doing to us do we give ourselves a little space again to be curious and to be surprised again.

We say that we know someone through and through, that a country no longer holds any secrets for us, and that the days are similar. If only we were a little kid again…. A kid who has no expectations and is fascinated by the unknown. How wonderful would it be to have a healthy curiosity again? And to fall from one surprise into another every day.

Discover a universe on 10cm2

Stimulate your curiosity. Go to the park or to the woods. Get down on your knees and look intently at a small piece of ground. Let yourself be surprised by the beauty of that mini-universe. Little plants, little grasses, little stones, little animals…. Let yourself be amazed by something so ordinary.

Stay curious about the inexplicable

We call it “healthy” curiosity for a reason. For example, the curiosity of researchers and scientists has already led to numerous new medicines and cures. However, when it comes to stories of people who have been inexplicably healed, our curiosity trigger often lets us down. We prefer to park these stories because we don’t understand them. Like a child, let’s dive into the stories of unexplained recovery. We don’t have to understand them, but we can be surprised.

Curiosity at Bengs

At Bengs, we want to be surprised and amazed every day. In doing so, we have been inspired by William Bengston (Bill). This scientist’s childlike curiosity knows no bounds. Since the 1970s he has been fascinated by phenomena he does not understand. A scientist at heart, he searches for answers and explanations for these phenomena. Yet like a child, he is not disappointed when he does not find the answers.

Knowing something is fun, but the road to it – our curiosity – is actually much more fun. By constantly being curious and looking for answers, you always come across new surprises and look at the world in a totally different way.

Stay curious

Allow yourself to be surprised again like a child. Awaken your healthy curiosity. And inspire others to become as curious as you are. Look at the world in a totally different way. Every day is a canvas that can be filled with new insights, unique experiences and special encounters.

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Want to know more about Dr. Bill Bengston’s curiosity?
Then watch this video in which he looks at unexplained phenomena with a healthy dose of skepticism and healthy curiosity.