Curiosity is a cognitive trait that drives our desire to gain knowledge or information. Often it becomes the motivation for all human development, such as advances in science, language, and industry. Curiosity in adults can be sustained and nurtured as a valuable Cognitive skill.

Why tells us how curiosity is not only a cognitive skill but also a super ppwer. Mario Livio vividly captures the lives of Leonardo Da Vinci and Richard Feynman both of whom attained the pinnacle of art and science through the sheer power of their unquenchable, life-long curiosity. 

Liovio then takes us through different types of curiosity mapped by psychologist Daniel Berlyne. So, what makes humans curious? The short answer is that our brains crave closure and hate unanswered questions. It is this ‘information gap” that drives our curiosity. Livio illustrates this with a funny example. Someone next to you speaking on a cellphone is more curiosity-inducing and distracting than hearing an entire conversation. These conversations snatches have an interesting name – ‘halfalogues’ (as opposed to full ‘dialogues’) 

The book takes a deep dive into the neuroscience behind curiosity, takes stock of its history and recounts fascinating stories of curious minds 

Let’s look apply some of the ideas in the book to see how you can tap into the power of curiosity for professional growth

Learn to identify the Berlyne’s 4 curiosity types  

1. 1. Perceptual - Curiosity created by anything novel, ambiguous or puzzling prompting us to use our senses or perception to investigate 

Example: Aroma of a new dish coming from the kitchen when you enter your home 

1. 2. Epistemic - Curiosity driven by a deep desire, an appetite, for knowledge. 

Example: You are curious to learn why AI and ChatGPT are suddenly so much in the news and how they can be used in sales to sell better 

1. 3. Specific - Desire for a particular piece of information 

Example: How many units of the new product launched by our competitor got sold last month? 

1. 4. Diversive - The restless desire to explore or seek novel stimulation to avoid boredom. Current day neuroscience calls it “dopamine driven” 

Example: “Let me check my phone for news headlines and stock market movement” 

Can curiosity make you a better salesperson? 

Research shows that it does. According to one study published in Harvard Business Review in 2018, curious sales reps focused on exploring how to be a better salesperson, did way better in promoting even expensive products

2 Actions to Apply Curiosity to Sales 

• 1.) 3 Questions to ask every day to become more curious at work 

As Francesca Gino suggests in his HBR article The Business Case for Curiosity, approach your work every day with these 3 questions 

1. What is one topic or activity you are curious about today? 
2. What is one thing you usually take for granted that you want to ask about? 
3. Frame one ‘Why questions’ you would like to raise at work today. E.g. “Why do we do this?” “Why not some other way?” 

• 2.) Classify your Top 5 Curiosity Questions into Epistemic, Specific and Diversive 

Examples: 

• “How is AI impacting sales now and how can I learn to use AI to sell better?” (Epistemic) 
• “What are the new products our company is planning to launch in the next 6 months and how can I know everything about them?” (Specific) 
• “What have my colleagues posted in the company group in the last hour?” (Diversive)  

Tip: Keep a check on your Diversive curiosity so that your time is not wasted. Instead, invest more of your time on your Epistemic and Specific questions 

Mario Livio closes the book Why with a memorable piece of advice: “They say curiosity is contagious. If that’s true, my advice would be: “Let’s turn it into an epidemic” 

Resolve to stay curious. That’s the way to spot, attract and create opportunities. And also keep the year new all 365 days!