Positive Psychology identifies five character strengths that are most related to happiness:
ZEST | CURIOSITY | HOPE | GRATITUDE | LOVE
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney.
You might have noticed the cocked head, perked ears, raised eyebrows and flared nose on a dog, when he senses something new. It could be a sound, vibration, smell or sight and instantly his interest is aroused. Rarely is he content to return to his resting posture. He is impelled to check out the source and satiate his curiosity.
You might have watched a toddler crawl under a sofa to retrieve her runaway ball and get sidetracked by a scurrying ant. She is mesmerized as she follows this tiny insect to join the rest of the army on its grave and grand mission. She watches with fascination the brave foot soldiers carrying a speck of sugar that is larger than four of them put together. Now if she had stayed with her ball she would have missed out on this opportune moment of impeccable learning about team work, co-operation, discipline and purposeful goal driven activity. The best of teachers would have been hard pressed to demonstrate so effectively to such a young student a life lesson of such gargantuan proportions and enduring nature. Her mind just expanded exponentially. Therein lays the honeyed gift of curiosity.