"Curiosity is a natural inquisitive behavior found in humans and many other animal species, and is the emotional aspect of living things that leads to exploration, investigation, and learning." Source: Wikipedia
Being curious is healthy. It makes you happier, more empathetic, better performing and stronger relationships. But we also have a tremendous need for control. Especially now, with all the changes and uncertainties around us, we want more and more control. Understandable, but unfortunate. Because the urge for control displaces our curiosity. We are less and less open to the unknown. We prefer everything to be predictable. And therefore our healthy curiosity disappears....
The childlike curiosity
Taste, feel, sniff, look, listen.... children are naturally enormously curious. Without expectations, they step into the unknown world. Every animal, every flower, every bite and every step is a new discovery. With each new discovery, they are enormously amazed. And when one child discovers something, the other child wants it too. This is how we learn, how we grow, and how we make life a great, exciting journey of discovery.
The more we learn, the less we want to discover
The older we get, the more information is stored in our brain. Knowledge, facts, experiences.... This is convenient because it means we don't have to, for example, rediscover every day whether we like ginger ice cream or not. But because we have less to discover, we also have less need to discover. In short, our curiosity stimulus decreases.
The stored knowledge in our brain is enormously dominant. For more than 95% of everything we see or experience, our brain automatically comes up with an explanation or an explanation. When we see a coffee cup, our brain automatically fills in that it must contain coffee. For a child, such a coffee cup is still a great discovery. What will it contain? Milk, lemonade, marbles, flowers? Anything is possible.
The adult need for explanations
Every time we see, hear, smell, taste or feel something, our brain comes up with a meaning. Objects, images, sounds and emotions no longer surprise us. Our brain is immediately ready with a meaning and a logical explanation. Only when we are aware of what our brain is doing to us do we give ourselves a little space to be curious and to be surprised again.
We say that we know someone through and through, that a country has no more secrets for us, and that the days are similar. If only we were a little child again ... A child who has no expectations and becomes enormously fascinated by the unknown. How wonderful would it be to have a healthy curiosity again? And to fall from one surprise into another every day.
Discover a universe on 10cm2
Stimulate your curiosity. Go to the park or forest. Get down on your knees and look intently at a small piece of ground. Let yourself be amazed by the beauty of that mini-universe. Plants, grasses, pebbles, critters ... Allow yourself to marvel at something so ordinary.
Stay curious about the inexplicable
We don't call it a "healthy" curiosity for nothing. For example, the curiosity of researchers and scientists has already led to numerous new medicines and cures. But with stories of people who have been inexplicably cured, our curiosity impulse often lets us down. We prefer to park these stories because we don't understand them. Like a child, let's dive into the stories of unexplained recovery. We don't have to understand them, but we can be surprised.
The curiosity at Bengs
At Bengs, we want to be surprised and amazed every day. In doing so, we have been inspired by William Bengston (Bill). This scientist's childlike curiosity knows no bounds. Ever since the 1970s, he has been fascinated by phenomena he does not understand. A scientist at heart, he seeks answers and explanations for these phenomena. But like a child, he is not disappointed when he does not find the answers.
Knowing something is fun, but the road to it - our curiosity - is actually much more fun. By being constantly curious and searching for answers, you constantly encounter new surprises and look at the world in a totally different way.
Stay curious
Be surprised like a child again. Awaken your healthy curiosity. And inspire others to become as curious as you are. Look at the world in a totally different way. Every day is a canvas that can be filled with new insights, unique experiences and special encounters.
Got curious?
Try the Bengs products.
Discover what they do to you and be surprised.
Want to know more about Dr. Bill Bengston's curiosity?
Then watch this video in which he looks at unexplained phenomena with a healthy dose of skepticism and healthy curiosity.
