NPR

Is Curiosity A Positive Or Negative Feeling?

Not all feelings of curiosity are the same. A study finds that one factor affecting the balance of negative and positive when it comes to curiosity is time, says psychologist Tania Lombrozo.
Source: Alex vandeHoef

Curiosity is a familiar feeling among people.

But as soon as we scrutinize that feeling, curiosity reveals itself to be a complex emotion indeed. Just ask yourself: Is curiosity a positive feeling or a negative feeling? Is it more like frustration or more like anticipation? Is it a painful reminder of what we don't (yet) know, or a thrilling beacon towards what we might soon discover?

Actually, curiosity can be all of these things — and more. Like lust, curiosity has positive and negative faces: one pointed (with happy anticipation!) towards what we desire, one

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR11 min read
Kenya's Samburu Boys Share A Sacred Bond. Why One Teen Broke With The Brotherhood
After initiation rites – including circumcision – the boys leave their families to take charge of the herds, driving them high into the mountains. It's a way of life that climate change is testing.
NPR2 min read
Short-term Loss For Long-term Gain? The Ethical Dilemma At The Heart Of EVs
As mines meet mineral demands for electric vehicles, they put communities and ecosystems at risk. Sustainability researcher Elsa Dominish says the EV industry cannot repeat fossil fuel's mistakes.
NPR5 min readWorld
Putin Replaces His Defense Minister As He Starts His 5th Term In Office
Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, who until recently served as the first deputy prime minister, to replace Sergei Shoigu in a Cabinet shakeup.

Related Books & Audiobooks