💡 Definition of the Character Strength of Curiosity: ”Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.” (From the VIA Institute on Character)

Intervention / Actions:

Overuse & Balancing Strengths:

• Sometimes, overuse of Curiosity can
  • …Result in an inability to focus attention on any one thing long enough to master, learn from, or use it. Jumping from one thing to the next can be energizing, as long as the diffusion of our energy doesn’t eliminate our ability to take in what we need to and move forward. Balance this with the strength of the Love of Learning, which offers a framework for curiosity to build on itself, or Perseverance which improves our mental and emotional muscles to stick with something long enough to profit from it, or to overcome barriers like the hit of boredom or monotony so we can get closure before moving on.
  • Overuse of “why” questions, which can be a sign we’re stabbing at our counterpart trying to get answers. Balance this with Kindness, Social Intelligence, or Self-Regulation which help us check our own impulses long enough to process and respond to the other person.
  • Binge Gathering of info — whether in research mode, or even streaming or reading entertainment too fast to truly savor, enjoy, or use what we’re exposing ourselves to.
• At the end of the day, whatever is driving our curiosity flavors it. So check for the underlying motive if curiosity seems to be running in overdrive. Are feelings of insecurity or loneliness causing us to snatch at information from other people’s lives? Is anger or fear causing us to stress-prep?

Quotes that have to do with Curiosity: