Curiosity is often linked with growth and satisfaction. Children often bombard their parents with “whys” and “how’s,” eager to understand the world. And that results into their constant growth. However, as we grow older, this innate curiosity often fades. School and societal pressures suppress our natural inclination to explore and question, replacing it with a desire for certainty and stability. By adulthood, many of us lose that relentless curiosity, content with what we know and hesitant to venture into the unknown. While we become “elderly” and “wise” from the traditional viewpoint, many of us certainly lose this innate attitude of curiosity and become stale & fixed. This lack of interest in learning anything new keeps us dormant and makes as laggards.
Rekindling Curiosity:
But it does not have to be that way. Reawakening childlike curiosity can be as simple as choosing to see the world with fresh eyes. It involves embracing uncertainty, seeking new experiences, and asking questions without fear of appearing ignorant. It can start with small steps: joining a book club, learning a new language, and even taking up gardening. These activities not only challenge one’s mind but also introduce to new people and experiences, enriching social life and sense of purpose.
Benefits of Curiosity in Aging:
The benefits of maintaining curiosity as we age are numerous and well-documented. Research has shown that curiosity plays a crucial role in cognitive health, helping to form new neural connections and enhance memory. It stimulates brain activity, which is essential for preventing cognitive decline and diseases like dementia. Moreover, curiosity encourages engagement with the world, fostering emotional well-being and a sense of joy. It acts as an antidote to stress and isolation, common challenges faced by older adults. There is also a knowledge dimension of curiosity: it helps us to keep abreast of the latest thinkings and technologies thus making us comfortable in our daily routine transactions. Say, for example, it could be as simple as making an online transaction.
Emotional and Social Benefits:
Beyond cognitive benefits, curiosity has a profound impact on our emotional and social lives. It encourages us to explore new topics, engage in lifelong learning, and remain open to new experiences. This openness leads to stronger social connections, as we interact with others through shared interests and learning activities. The curiosity and resultant processes of mentoring or reverse mentoring (guidance by the younger people) can keep the tab of social interaction on in a family or a larger societal context.
Strategies for Cultivating Curiosity:
There is no single strategy that an elder can adopt to remain curious in all scenarios. It is a mindset that needs to be developed: how one can be asking simplest of questions in any given backdrop. It is more of “childlike innocence” that needs to be developed.
Some of the strategies in this regard can be as follows:
Embrace Lifelong Learning: The elders should engage in activities that challenge one’s mind, whether it is an online course, a new hobby, or reading about topics that interest. These new endeavours often force an individual to probe and question through the attitude of curiosity. Lifelong learning is one sure way of keeping the mind ever active and always having a childlike curiosity.
Stay Socially Active: The elders should join clubs, attend workshops, or undertake community services. These activities not only keep mind engaged but also provide opportunities to meet new people and form meaningful connections. These new contacts or friendships are the springboards of joy, laughter, togetherness and inquisitive innocence & fun together.
Travel and Explore: Travelling is an excellent way getting curious. Even local excursions can offer new experiences and stimulate curiosity. Traveling through meeting new people and seeing new places keeps the mind open.
Ask Questions Relentlessly: Elders should never be afraid to ask “why” or “how.” It is a simple yet powerful way to reignite curiosity and deepen understanding of the world. The axiom remains simple: “do not accept anything as it is-question why”.
Keep an Open Mind: Elders should be willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This openness is essential for maintaining a curious mind and embracing new experiences.
Moving Ahead:
The elders must appreciate that they have not come to the part of the life where there are no more questions to ask, and they know everything. Life is too big & complex, and we as human beings are too small at any stage of life. The propensity to learn, therefore, should be an eternal trait till we live. This alone can help us in chartering the journey of life happily. Curiosity is integral to happy aging and the elders should be keen to ask and ask more questions on anything and everything in life. That alone can make life sweeter.
This article is written by Dr A K Sen Gupta, Chief Trustee of My Retired Life Foundation (MRLF).
