Curiosity is the driving force behind our development and even our success. But it can also be dangerous, leading to setbacks or even downfalls, so why are humans so curious? Do scientists even have a definition for this inborn drive?
Actually, there isn't one set in the stone. Psychologists agree curiosity isn't about satisfying an immediate need, like hunger or thirst; rather, it's intrinsically (内在地) motivated. Curiosity covers such large set of bebaviors that there probably isn't any single "curiosity gene" that makes humans wonder about and explore their environment. Genes and the environment interact in many complex ways to shape individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.
Regardless of their genetic makeup, infants have to learn an incredible amount of information in a short time, and curiosity is one of the tools humans have found to accomplish that huge task. In a classic study, a psychologist showed that infants between 2 months and 6 months old grew less and less interested in a complex visual pattern the more they looked at it. But curiosity often comes with a cost. In some situations, the risks are low and failure is a healthy part of growth. For instance, many babies are perfectly proficient crawlers, but they decide to try walking because there's more to see and do when they stand upright. But this milestone comes at a small cost. A study of 12- to 19-month-olds learning how to walk documented that these children fell down a lot. Seventeen times per hour, to be exact. But walking is faster than crawling, so this motivates expert crawlers to transition to walking.
Sometimes, however, testing out a new idea can lead to disaster. For instance, the Inuit people of the Arctic regions have created incredible modes to deal with the challenges of living in northern r climates, but what we forget about are the tens of thousands of people that tried and failed to make it in those challenging landscapes.