There Are Two Kinds of Curious

Children are full of curiosity and wonder  about every little thing around them.

But somewhere along the line, a lot  of us lose that childlike curiosity.

Old people know the answers, so we’re  just not as curious as we used to be.

At least, that’s the conventional wisdom.

And there are some studies that support it.

But there’s also some recent  research that suggests older   people may be more curious than  their younger counterparts.

And that may help you maintain  your brain as you age.

Naturally, scientists are curious about  the reasons for those mixed results.

As it turns out, we may have been  thinking about curiosity all wrong.

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As you age, your priorities change. While you used to be motivated by the adrenaline  of meeting new people and trying out a new bar, these days, you’re more satisfied by a  comfortable night in and a solid amount of sleep.

It seems that you are focused on different  things later in adulthood than you used to be.

And that is supported by research. Studies have shown decreases in  curiosity about other people,   yourself, and new knowledge from early to late  adulthood, plus less openness to new experiences.

And, for years, researchers have  been trying to figure out why.

One hypothesis hinges on the  idea that when you’re younger,   you have a lot of time left before you die.

So earlier in life, you prioritize seeking  out new information and experiences that   could prepare you for whatever might  come up in those intervening years.