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Both our nature and nurture influence the quality and degree of our curiosity.

Curiosity fuels our connection with the world, others, and ourself.

Curiosity is essential to support constructive self-reflection for emotional regulation.

I feel extremely fortunate. From my early childhood I have possessed intense curiosity—a sense of wonder and wishing to explore all that surrounded me. I view curiosity as a force for embracing life. I recall watching shows on science, nature, and animals as much as cartoons. That same curiosity moved me to question human behavior—that of others and my own. I wondered about emotions and their link to thinking and behavior.

Curiosity has served me well as a clinical psychologist, moving me to look for patterns in clients—in their thinking, emotions, and bodily sensations. I view curiosity as an especially essential force in psychotherapy as well as change in general. More importantly, I view curiosity as essential for developing emotional regulation.

Influence of nature and nurture on curiosity

Like so many personality traits, curiosity is a product of both our nature and nurture. Our nature provides us a baseline drive to explore and learn. However, an environment can help encourage or diminish our curiosity. Through modeling as well as validation and reinforcement, parents, teachers, and media can support a child’s emerging curiosity.

Further, parents can model and validate curiosity regarding the exploration of one’s inner landscape—one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Such curiosity is the foundation for self-reflection essential for emotional awareness and regulation.

Curiosity and our connection with the world

Curiosity is a motivating force behind our making contact with the world around us. Picture the infant who........

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