2026 New Year’s Resolution
As 2025 comes to an icy close and we look ahead to 2026, I’d like to propose a New Year’s Resolution to add to your list. Don’t worry! It requires no subscription, no contract, and no payment. It only needs an open mind and a few moments of attention whenever something new comes into view. Let’s be curious!
“Be curious” is a familiar phrase, but what does it mean to be curious? Curiosity is not about having all the answers, it is about how we approach the world, the people in our lives, and even our own thoughts and decisions. With a bit of practice, curiosity can bring deeper understanding, sharper thinking, and a renewed sense of appreciation for the world we live in.
In our societies ‘right here, right now’ mentality, we are often pulled in many directions at once. We are balancing professional obligations, personal responsibilities, and constant streams of information. Curiosity helps us to slow down so we can ask better questions, reserve judgements, and follow the evidence rather than assumptions.
Curiosity is also foundational to leadership. Good leaders invite questions and perspectives from all sides. They recognize that thoughtful inquiry improves decision-making, strengthens trust, and leads to more durable outcomes. When questions are welcomed as part of the process, our understanding broadens and collaboration improves.
When we slow down and think more carefully about the world around us, connections and patterns begin to emerge. Some are obvious, others are more subtle. Curiosity reminds us that correlation does not always equal causation. This encourages us to look beyond the patterns and ask what might be driving them. In this way, curiosity acts as a catalyst, setting learning and investigation in motion without dictating where they must end.
Curiosity is one of the strongest defenses against confirmation bias (the natural tendency we all have to seek out information that supports what we already believe). No one is without bias. To claim complete objectivity is to misunderstand how human thinking works.
Think of confirmation bias like a see-saw in our mind. This see-saw represents our decision-making process. On one side sits the accumulated weight of our knowledge, experience, and prior beliefs. On the other side rests a new piece of information. It’s easy for the see-saw to tip heavily toward what we already know and firmly believe, allowing a lifetime of experiences to outweigh something unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
Curiosity is not about removing our experiences, knowledge, and beliefs from the seat of the see-saw. It is about recognizing the weight and influence it has on our perspectives and assumptions, and ultimately our decision-making process. By slowing down, asking questions, and investigating new information through evidence and research, curiosity helps bring the see-saw of perspective closer to balance, not by pretending both sides weigh the same, but by giving the new piece of information the thorough and necessary examination it requires to make an informed-decision.
In science, the practice of investigating new information rather than defending existing beliefs is fundamental. When scientists develop a hypothesis, they don’t set out to prove themselves right. Instead, they design studies and experiments to explore where they may be wrong. That process strengthens conclusions and builds confidence in the results.
Are we seeking validation or understanding?
New information doesn’t arrive in a vacuum. We bring past experiences, values, and emotions with us, which can make changing our minds difficult. Curiosity helps us engage with new evidence thoughtfully, even when it challenges what we already believe.
When new information appears, whether it is about a proposed sand and gravel pit, a data center, or something entirely different, it can help to pause and ask a few neutral questions:
- Where did this information come from?
- What is this information trying to show or support?
- Who benefits if this information is accepted as accurate or complete?
These questions help support thoughtful participation and better conversations around complex topics. Asking them helps us stay curious, engaged, and open to learning as new information emerges.
As we move into the new year, my hope is simple: Let’s be curious & ask more thoughtful questions.
If you’re looking to cultivate curiosity this year, here are a few thoughtful places to start:
Books
- Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
- Braiding Sweetgrass — Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Sixth Extinction — Elizabeth Kolbert
- Stolen Focus — Johann Hari
Websites Articles
- Six Benefits of Curiosity – Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley)
- Four Surprising Benefits of Curiosity – Psychology Today
- Curiosity: the neglected trait that drives success – BBC
- The psychology and neuroscience of Curiosity – Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester
Happy New Year to all you curious residents of Springfield Township.
