Curiosity is a competitive advantage in nearly every field and endeavor.
Curious people are generally more successful, effective, and visionary. They build better relationships and enjoy more opportunities as a result.
Through curiosity, they uncover truths and insights that remain opaque to others. Not surprisingly, many of the world’s most successful people think of curiosity as their superpower.
While humans are born with a natural drive to explore and learn, to develop curiosity, people must feed this innate motivation. Curiosity strengthens or weakens depending on how people use it.
Contrary to popular belief, curiosity isn’t just a desire to learn more through inquisitive questioning. It’s more about how long people stay engaged in the inquiry. Curious people stay engaged longer, even when it’s uncomfortable.
This can be learned.
Thinking of conversations as layers is theideal metaphor for becoming more curious.
To go deeper than surface-level facts, information, and opinions, curious people ask one critical question in different ways: “What makes you say that?”
And they keep on asking it.
The question takes a large variety of forms but essentially explores the reason the other party holds their last view or opinion. The underlying intent is always to understand why the other party believes what they do.
Consider this exchange:
A: I think we should terminate the project.
B: What makes you say that?
A: It’s not gaining traction. No one seems excited by it.
B: Why do you think no one is excited?
A: Every meeting feels flat. People show up, but their minds are elsewhere.
B: What’s driving that view?
A: Honestly, I think they don’t believe in the project. They don’t think the project will amount to much, so they’re thinking about their own goals and issues.
B: Where does that come from?
A: Because the last time we had a similar project, another priority came up and derailed the effort. People remember that.
B: And you think history repeats itself here?
A: I guess. Maybe I’m the one who doesn’t believe.
The question set works to promote curiosity because of what it doesn’t do. It makes no assumptions about the answer, and it suspends any judgment.
Each question arrives without an agenda or opinion, always asking why the other person believes what they do.
The questioner has no idea where the answers will take the conversation. Instead, they let their curiosity guide the process.
Curiosity isn’t a technique. It’s the discipline of arriving empty and staying longer in discovery mode.
Where judgment closes doors, curiosity just keeps knocking.
People are never curious and certain at the same time. If you agree, our curiosity demands we explore why you do.
