"In psychology, it's associated with openness, learning, creativity, and well-being. But in real life-especially under stress -curiosity often feels impractical, slow, or even risky. When emotions run high, curiosity is usually the first thing to go. That's not a character flaw. It's biology. Decades of research show that when people perceive threat-social, emotional, or status-related-the brain shifts into protection mode. Instead of prioritizing exploration and learning, the nervous system reallocates resources toward basic survival."
"Under threat, our attention narrows. We scan for signs of danger, fixate on confirming evidence, and remember information that reinforces our fears-a pattern commonly seen in anxiety, where social or physical risks become amplified. In those moments, we don't stop caring about others; we simply lose access to curiosity. Which is why the advice to "just be more curious" rarely works. What does work is microdosing curiosity: deliberately inserting very small, psychologically realistic moments of curiosity"
Curiosity is biologically suppressed under perceived social, emotional, or status threats when the brain shifts into protection mode and reallocates resources toward survival. Attention narrows, people scan for danger, fixate on confirming evidence, and remember information that reinforces fears. Losing curiosity under stress does not mean losing care for others; it reflects diminished access to exploratory mindset. Simple exhortations to 'just be more curious' rarely succeed. Introducing very small, psychologically realistic moments of curiosity—microdosing—can interrupt snap judgments, defensiveness, and disengagement. The Arc of Curiosity frames curiosity as a continuum from closed states like self-righteous disdain and confident dismissal to open states like genuine interest and fascinated wonder, enabling incremental change.
Read at Psychology Today
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