Curiosity Strategies: Overcoming Environment

Your Curiosity Strategies:

There are nine sub-factors under this main category of environment.  After taking the Curiosity Code Index, it is important to look at the things we can do to overcome how our environment impacts us.

Lack Of Time To Answer Questions: Many people came from when we heard things like curiosity killed the cat or we should mind our own business. Cultures have changed, and so has our view of curiosity. Educators might have come from when they were told that kids should be seen but not heard or something equally limiting. We can’t go back and change our educators, but we can recognize their impact on our willingness to ask questions.

Teaching To Tests: Even if our teachers didn’t discourage us from asking questions, they might not have had the time to answer them if they were under pressure to teach specific things or focus on teaching content to allow children to pass tests. There is only so much time in a day. This might have inadvertently caused us not to explore areas that interested us as children. Think about some of the jobs you thought you wanted when you ‘grew up,’ or some of the topics you might have liked to have known more about in school. Research some of those areas and see if they still create a spark.

Limited Options: Most schools have a set number of courses or a predetermined curriculum. Some schools might have had time to teach one language and not any others. Consider the limitations of the schools at which you attended. An example might be if the language the school taught didn’t interest you. Was there another that might have?

Perhaps your traveling has sparked an interest in a culture you never explored in the past. Consider some of the options you might not have otherwise considered.

Pressure For Information: Sometimes, leaders can have a very narrow focus in work situations, and they only come to people for specific information. That might cause people to avoid a broader worldview or an expanded view of things. Perhaps we have learned how to lead-based on working for someone like that. Consider the potential opportunities that a leader missed by being close to them.

Past Bad Work Experience: Sometimes, companies ask for suggestions and then do nothing with them because they don’t have the means, people, human capital, etc. That doesn’t mean the ideas were not worthwhile. Sometimes it is helpful to ask about and follow up on suggestions. Why weren’t they generous? What could be done to make them more valuable? Asking questions can also remind people who might have overlooked them.

Potential For More Work: People might resist giving suggestions if it means they must do more work, even if they receive more pay. People can often get comfortable doing the bare minimum. However, that can get very tiresome if there is no growth. Ideas that create more work often generate more opportunities for advancement and financial rewards.

Easier To Do What Others Do: Families can inadvertently put a lot of pressure on 

people. For example, sometimes there are expectations that we will have specific jobs because our family always did that job. Or the family might be competitive and make fun of ideas that are unlike their own. It might be beneficial to consider what you would like to do but haven’t done because those things were not part of the family culture.

Want To Be Liked: Sometimes, we don’t like to upset the applecart by suggesting doing things that a group or other individuals with whom we interact would find interesting. Sometimes it is easier to do what others like to do rather than talk someone else into what we want. Sometimes it is good to find people who share our interests. But, it is also good to be sure that we don’t inadvertently shut down other people’s ideas and make them feel like they should go along with the groupthink mentality.

Might Impact Relationships: Conflict is inevitable in close relationships. If we constantly do things that other people want to do at the expense of what we want to do, we could end up feeling resentment. The key is to communicate our likes and dislikes appropriately and respectfully and come to mutual agreements.