Your Assignment

Make sure you read the article from Psychology Today (September/October 2006) given to you in class and/or the previous posts on this blog (see below).

Your assignment is to become a more trait-curious person. You will blog about each of your attempts and reflect upon your entire experience, relating any frustrations and/or growth you encountered along the way.

Parameters:

1. You will blog about THREE (minimum) of your experiences from September to December. Tell us specifically what you attempted and what challenges you faced.
2. You will leave THREE (minimum) comments on the blogs of three different peers. There are two reasons behind this. Your peers will appreciate the support you provide as a virtual audience, and you might gain more ideas about how to carry out your own curiosity goals.
3. Your fourth and final post to your blog (in December or January before final exams) should be a summative reflection of the entire experience. Refer back to the original article and/or earlier posts to this blog.

Hints:

• Ask a friend (anyone) to commit to a new interest that seems intimidating (eg., banjo-playing). Agree with each other that you will do this together and not judge each other.
• Even if a new experience (eg., sushi) is a disaster, remember that you now have a story you can use to connect with other people. Trait-curious people experience internal growth reagardless of the outcome.
• Reframe "boring" situations. Strike up a conversation with someone in the line at the Drivers License Facility. Ask them about their tattoo!
• Demonstrate a "rage to master", what psychologist Ellen Winner calls "an intense focus on specific interests or goals", spending countless hours working in the "flow" on a task which is neither too hard nor too easy.
  

What if I'm not trait-curious?

A strong sense of curiosity is a fixed trait that a person either has or doesn't have. However, even if a person isn't naturally curious, s/he has the ability to cultivate or train her- or himself to be more that way.

Everyone is interested in something, but social pressures often inhibit these instincts. For example, many people played an instrument when they were younger, but don't today because they're not in band or orchestra and it would seem bizarre to play the trombone on your own.

There's no agreed-upon definition of what an adult or young adult should be, and that really surprises many people who have already boxed themselves out of many activities which have the potential of bringing a person much joy.

What does "trait-curious" mean?

Psychologists define "trait-curious" people as individuals who probe deeply into subjects that interest them, thus learning more about themselves and the world in the process.

Trait-curious people are accustomed to being teased for their fixations and passions. For example, calling someone like them a "computer nerd" or "foodie" might be a way of conveying the message, "give it up, already!"

However, this gentle teasing is easily outweighed by the benefits these people derive. According to a new study by Todd Kashdan of George Mason University:

"People who exhibit high levels of curiosity...experience higher levels of satisfaction with life than their more disengaged peers...[They] report finding a greater sense of meaning in life, which is a better predictor of sustainable, lasting happiness [emphasis added]."

People who are less curious are more likely to derive pleasure from sex or drugs and less likely to experience the feeling of flow, the feeling of complete and energized focus in an activity, with a high level of enjoyment and fulfillment as described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.