11 things curious people always do (but never talk about)

Everyone is born curious – wanting to grow and learn about the world by asking the right questions.

But as we get older, we start losing our sense of wonder and curiosity which are essential to expanding our minds.

In these modern times, curiosity doesn’t kill the cat anymore – it’s an essential skill to make the cat wiser and stronger.

And although some of us have lost the desire to be curious, the good news is that we can relearn this trait by forming new habits that other curious people do like:

1) They Quietly Read and Observe People

Curious people are always engaged in the conversation they have with someone.

By avoiding multi-tasking and giving their full attention to the speaker, they rarely miss important details or pieces of information from the other person.

They notice cues and slight changes in their demeanor that a lot of people often miss – all because they read people better than others.

You know what’s interesting about curious people?

When they’re chatting with someone, they’ll ditch their phones and give their full attention to the conversation.

Yup, they know that scrolling through Instagram or checking emails can really mess with their brain’s ability to be curious and fully engage with the person in front of them.

And here’s another thing: curious folks are experts at picking up on subtle cues.

They can tell when you’re having a bad day just by the way your veins bulge on the side of your head.

They’ll notice that your smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes, and they’ll pick up on other hints that you might be trying to keep under wraps.

Curious people are just really good at reading others. They can see through your facade and get to the heart of what you’re really feeling or thinking.

That’s why they make such great conversationalists – they’re fully present and engaged with you, and they really care about understanding where you’re coming from.

2) They Listen Without Judgment

Have you ever noticed how most of us tend to make assumptions about others before we even start talking to them?

We try to predict what they’ll say, but we almost always end up being wrong. It’s like we’ve already decided what we think about them before they even open their mouth.

But here’s the thing – curious people are different. They don’t come into a conversation with any hidden agenda or preconceived ideas.

They’re totally open and eager to hear what the other person has to say. They want to understand the other person’s perspective without any judgment or blame.

That’s why curious people are so great to talk to – they’re not going to shame you or make you feel bad for what you think or feel.

They’re just genuinely interested in hearing you out and working together to find a solution.

They’re all about collaboration and innovation, and they know that the best ideas come from a place of openness and curiosity.

3) They’re Naturally Empathetic

Since curious people don’t easily jump to conclusions or judge people, they understand the other person’s perspective well – making them naturally empathetic.

Highly empathetic and curious people typically have more friends and more meaningful relationships with others. They sense the emotions of people around them and act accordingly.

Empathy is a rare skill because it means feeling the emotions of another person instead of simply feeling sorry for them.

Curious people often have friends who feel understood, valued, and respected whenever they’re around.

Since empathy is a skill, then it means it’s also something you can learn and practice.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by listening more to the other person instead of speaking.

Always make sure to commit your undivided attention to them and then ask insightful questions.

4) They Enjoy Socializing

Since curious people have the desire to always learn something about people, they tend to socialize more than others.

They love meeting new people and interacting with them – it gives them a glimpse of new cultures and experiences, as well as the other person’s likes and dislikes.

Curious people aren’t always cooped up in their rooms because socializing isn’t something they can easily do from the comfort of their homes or in front of their computer screens.

Since they always keep an open mind during a conversation, the people around them feel comfortable and compelled to open up.

As an extrovert myself, I always enjoy meeting new people and learning about their thoughts on certain things.

It makes me feel like I’m feeding my mind and soul whenever I meet new people – I can always learn a thing or two from them which can improve the way I live my life.

5) They Always Ask Questions

One easily recognizable habit of curious people is that they never run out of questions – whether it’s something mundane like what you had for breakfast to something deeper like how certain things make you feel.

They feel this constant need to fill their knowledge gaps with answers from other people.

Even if the world around them values answers more than inquisitive thoughts, curious people are never afraid to ask questions to a stranger or request feedback from their colleagues.

Doing so is the best way they can experiment and find new ways to change and improve.

What’s fascinating about curious people is that they don’t simply ask questions that you can easily answer with a yes or no.

They always start their queries with a what, when, where, why, or how.

These kinds of questions allow the other person to think of an explanation that satisfies the curious person, creating a deeper and more meaningful bond between them.

6) They Find Something Interesting in Everything

Life is never boring for curious people because they always find something interesting in everything – whether it’s a new topic they’re unfamiliar with or a subject they already spent hours exploring.

Their curiosity always gets the best of them, encouraging them to chip away at the mysteries of the world.

Curious people are always motivated to understand things and gain new knowledge.

This trait allows them to defeat the fear of the unknown – because for them, no topic is too difficult, boring, or mysterious.

Thanks to their cravings for knowledge and interest in everything, curious people are also persistent and hard-working.

They always want to get to the bottom of things when something piques their interest, so they stick around until they fix the issue or discover something more.

7) They Can Easily Admit When They Don’t Know

Curious people are always in pursuit of knowledge, so they’re always trying new things and talking to new people.

When someone asks them something they don’t know about, they’re not afraid to admit that they don’t have an answer.

They won’t try to stumble through words and talk their way out of it, hoping to fool everyone around them.

For curious people, it’s more important to actually learn something than look smart with no substance.

They’re not afraid to admit that they don’t have the answer to everything and that there are certain situations where they don’t have a solution.

But just because they don’t know something doesn’t mean they will give up.

Curious people aren’t content with not knowing so they won’t rest on their laurels until they find the right answer – they investigate and persist until they have the proper solution to a problem.

8) They’re Not Afraid to Be Wrong

Aside from not knowing, curious people are also not afraid to be wrong. They’re not obsessed with being right all the time.

Because for them, if they already have the answers to everything, then what is there left to learn and improve?

Curious people understand that making mistakes means they’re still learning.

They constantly experiment to find different ways to improve or figure out what went wrong in certain situations.

As Thomas Jefferson said, look at your mistakes not as failures – but as proof that some ways don’t work until you find the right path.

It’s crucial for curious people to have the ability to shelve their sense of being right. This allows them to be more open to other opinions and insights that can help them solve their dilemma.

9) They Actively Look for Surprises

A lot of people have the fear of the unknown, which gives them a love/hate relationship with surprises.

When there are too many surprises, people tend to be anxious about everything. But without the right amount of surprises, we easily get bored and disengaged.

People find comfort in certainty but life and excitement in surprises.

The reason why curious people are never bored is that they always look for things that can capture their attention – even in the unknown.

In every situation, they always manage to find something worth exploring.

When it comes to their career, curious people often pursue different levels of certification or education.

They’re always reading up on new books or studies because it’s the best way to learn.

For these people, life is more interesting the more curious you let yourself be.

10) They’re Less Affected by Rejection

You know how most of us can get really down in the dumps when we’re rejected?

It can feel like our whole world is falling apart, and we start to question our self-worth.

But curious people don’t let rejection get them down like that. They understand that the negative effects of rejection on their quality of life are much weaker compared to everyone else.

And here’s why – curious folks always keep an open mind when they’re trying new things.

They’re not afraid of failure or disappointment because they know that every experience is a chance to learn and grow.

They take conflicts as opportunities for growth, and they always bounce back stronger.

Instead of taking rejection personally, curious people choose to learn from the situation and then move on.

They know that fixating on the past will only hold them back from discovering all the amazing things that life has in store for them.

They learn from their mistakes, dust themselves off, and keep on exploring the world with their curious mindset.

I’ve personally adopted this approach myself, and it’s made a huge difference in my life.

I used to get bogged down by rejection and failure, but now I see them as chances to learn and become even better.

Life is full of surprises, and there’s so much to discover – why waste time dwelling on the past?

11) They’re More Positive Than Most People

Curious people also tend to have a more positive attitude than others.

After all, it’s difficult to dwell on negative emotions when you’re constantly moving from one adventure to the next – meeting new people and investigating the latest thing that grabbed your attention.

Curious people can’t help but be positive when there are so many things to explore.

There’s no room for negativity among curious people, especially since they believe that life is full of different wonders worth checking out.