45 Random Facts That Won't Pay Your Bills But May Keep You Entertained

Weird, fascinating facts make us curious. Reading through many of these items likely made you want to Google them to verify whether they are indeed true. 

Curiosity has been linked to emotional, social, and psychological benefits, which clinical psychologist Emily Campbell broke down in this article for UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine.

Campbell first noted that curiosity is essential to our survival. As she explained, the urge to explore and seek novelty keeps us vigilant about our constantly changing environment. 

“(It) may be why our brains evolved to release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals when we encounter new things,” she wrote.

Being curious means having a deeper understanding of the world and the people around us. In effect, it also helps us develop more empathy, which only leads to growth. 

This is why Campbell urges engaging with others on a personal level, especially with people we don’t know.

Curiosity can be a double-edged sword, depending on how you express it. General-interest curiosity, which is more about celebrating a lack of knowledge and wanting the opportunity to gain more, is closely related to intellectual humility. 

However, there is also deprivation curiosity. As University of California, Santa Barbara professor Jonathan Schooler explains, this is when the goal is to “squelch the discomfort of uncertainty.”

“When you lack intellectual humility—when you feel like you need to know everything and you realize there’s something you don’t know—that leads to an uncomfortable gap,” Schooler said. 

As an example, he mentioned people who accept fake news because they don’t like uncertainty.

Indeed, being curious has its benefits. However, being receptive to new ideas is just as important. As Dartmouth College professor Thalia Wheatley states: 

“[Curiosity] really creates common ground across brains, just by virtue of having the intellectual humility to say, ‘OK, I thought it was like this, but what do you think?’ And being willing to change your mind.”