Why Curiosity is Essential for Building Strong and Lasting Relationships

What makes a great relationship? Having things in common? Having the same goals and aspirations? The ability to keep a sense of humor in adverse times? Many things make up a well-oiled relationship, but let’s get curious for a minute.

Curiosity is something we often overlook as a positive trait when it comes to relationships – after all, it killed the cat, which indicates that sticking your nose in where it shouldn’t be will only cause a nasty shock. It’s often believed that ignorance is bliss and what you don’t know won’t hurt you, but when it comes to relationships, is this hindering your ability to bond and truly get to know each other?

Curiosity is a major part of communication between a couple, and without it, it can cause us to jump to conclusions, judge the other person, and make assumptions. In essence, without curiosity, we are stopping ourselves from seeing the whole picture, and this causes unneeded animosity.

Why Curiosity Paves The Way For A Great Relationship

Curiosity is how we learn. It’s how we gain knowledge of the world and the people around us – it’s how we form good relationships with others. It also brings a sense of being humble by asking questions and listening to a person’s response. All this helps us to form and build close friendships and romantic relationships. Continuing curiosity is important to keep up that special bond.

1. Curiosity Increases Compatibility

Having a sense of curiosity in a relationship increases compatibility because it not only enhances your own self-understanding, but it also creates a mutual understanding with the other person. In other words, you are both on the same page, which allows forward-moving growth, open communication, and intimacy between you.

If you use curiosity in the right way, then situations when, for example, your partner comes home late, won’t end in accusations and assumptions being made about why they’re late. It will create an understanding between you both that carries on into all situations, therefore creating a deeper compatibility in your thinking and positive reactions.

2. Curiosity Opens Up Your Relationship To New Avenues

Actively being curious about each other and the world around you will stop the relationship from entering into a boring dead-end routine. If you are both willing to explore more of the world and the people in it, you are both more likely to explore possibilities with your relationship. Curiosity keeps your relationship exciting, fresh, and open to new understandings of yourself and the other person. This gives you the chance to evolve together.

3. Curiosity Helps With Problem-Solving

It’s easy to make assumptions about someone or a situation, and when problems arise, it’s these assumptions that can stop you from being able to problem-solve effectively. Being curious opens up a way of brainstorming and allows you to solve problems together, even without realizing it. By adopting a curious nature, you open up a dialogue between you, and you’re more likely to navigate away from conflict as well as strengthening your connection.

Preventing misunderstandings, arguments, and resentments can all be solved by bringing that curious aspect into your relationship.

How To Create Curiosity In Your Relationships

Curiosity is all about asking open-ended questions – let the other person talk, listen intently, and ask further questions. Doing this will encourage the other person to do the same for you.

The key is to keep your ego in check when you ask these questions. Be genuine and sincere, and avoid asking questions in a demanding or interrogative way. An example of this would be asking how your partner is feeling, even if you have an idea of what the answer may be – let them talk and listen. Your aim is to learn and grow from the information you share in a loving way.

By adopting curiosity as part of your communication, you eliminate assumptions, judgments, misreading situations, misunderstandings, and ultimately reduce unnecessary conflict. It’s about letting go of your ideals and being willing to open up your mindset to a different perspective – one where you don’t know everything about someone, but the desire to find out is ever-lingering and present.

We are constantly growing and developing as individuals, so it’s important to keep up with each other. What may be right or wrong for you may not be the same for someone else, and it’s important to always keep this in mind. Believing that the person you started a relationship with years ago still has the same feelings, thoughts, and ideas is a major misconception and can cause major contention. Curiosity should always be a major factor in friendships and relationships, to find out how your loved ones are changing and developing as individuals.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s time to treat curiosity as a positive way of living rather than a guarded, cautious one.