Curiosity Makes Us Happier

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for us humans, curiosity makes us happier. In their recent Psychology Today article, “What Happy People Do Differently,” Robert Biswas-Diener and Todd Kashdan discuss research supporting the idea that truly happy people are willing to accept the anxiety of doing something new and different if it offers the opportunity to learn and grow. Although finding and filling our life with comfortable and pleasant experiences does contribute to our happiness, as with many things, too much of a good thing can get boring. A balance of comfort and pleasure with uncertainty and exploration is key to finding our optimal well-being. So the next time your friend or significant other invites you to an event that is new and different, be curious and step outside your comfort zone. You may not only learn something, you just may be happier!