Curiosity is, by definition, the willingness to explore something new without knowing if there’s benefit in doing so (otherwise it’s pragmatic self-interest).

Will you learn something if you listen to a particular podcast, subscribe to a certain blog, go to that conference or read that new book? Will you benefit from trying a different method, meeting that new person or collaborating with a given group of people?

Most people never find out – they remember the time that their curiosity was not rewarded, view curiosity as a poor investment and opt for mainstream, low risk experiences.

If, however, you approach curiosity as a long series of small investments – try many podcasts, many blogs, many conferences, many books, many methods, meet many new people and/or collaborate with many groups – you’ll find that in spite of some experiences being useless, your attitude of curiosity pays handsome dividends in the long term – new knowledge, perspectives, insights & opportunities.

Perhaps, then, an attitude of curiosity is actually pragmatic self-interest after all.