Want a simple way to add more happiness to your life? Become more curious.Studies have clearly demonstrated the value of gratitude and acts of kindness as they relate to one’s well-being. Could a conscious effort to improve one’s curiosity also improve happiness levels as well?

Researchers asked about 100 study participants to keep a journal and record their levels of curiosity over time. They also measured a person’s tendency towards curiosity before their recordings began.

The results?

According to the researchers, people with greater baseline curiosity engaged in more frequent growth-oriented behaviors and experienced a greater presence of life satisfaction than those with less curiosity. Their satisfaction levels were also not just positive over time, but from day-to-day as well.

And while the study had the usual limitations (including a limited number of participants), the results make sense. As the researchers put it: “…People with greater curiosity challenge their views of self, others, and the world with an inevitable stretching of information, knowledge, and skills.”

According to researchers, the benefits of being higher curiosity apparently stem from: (a) the willingness to choose activities that stretch and develop skills and potential and (b) greater tendencies to be approach (and not avoidance) oriented when confronted with novel, uncertain, and complex activities.

But where is curiosity supported and encouraged?

Certainly not in most business or corporate environments, where the dominating thought is greater efficiency or cost-savings. Because curiosity is not encouraged in most corporate settings, is it any wonder then that most companies suffer from a lack of viable, relevant ideas? Curiosity could be seen as one of the cornerstones to innovation. And yet, it is often neglected, ignored, and even ridiculed in most corporate settings.

And that’s unfortunate.