Every one of us has that person in our family or friend group, the know-it-all who has an answer to every question, no matter how deep or superficial. The second a discussion starts, they attempt to sell their opinion and why they are absolutely right.
Truth be told, I was never really annoyed by these individuals. I could pretty easily brush off their very public displays of knowledge and lack of curiosity, laugh at the absurdity of their confidence. But now I recognize that this mindset of always knowing it all can be the enemy of growth, because if we know it all, there is nothing left to learn.
About 6 years ago, when my husband and I moved to the United States to pursue an exciting new job opportunity, we dove right into the hustle and bustle of New York City. We had moved from Stuttgart, a conservative, introverted, down to earth industrial city of Germany. The more I immersed myself in this new country and culture, I was subconsciously leaving my former identity behind. While it wasn’t always easy, I was opening myself up to a world of curiosity, passion and personal growth.
Let’s translate this to the workplace: when you leave a job or role in which you are an absolute subject matter expert, where your word is respected as law, your proposals followed as the best path and your relationships rock solid from years of collaboration, and you start from scratch in a new industry, three things happen simultaneously:
- You find yourself in the midst of an identity crisis.
- You develop a genuine curiosity for new ideas and realities.
- You grow.
The Root Cause of an Identity Crisis
Without going into a complex psychological definition, I will offer a definition based on personal experience: the root cause of an identity crisis is the absence of the known and the discomfort that comes along with it. It is a balancing act between the pressure of wanting to figure it all out yesterday and acknowledging the power of practicing patience. It is the fear of making mistakes and then reminding yourself of your toolbox of skills and experiences that you can apply to any given problem. It is the transformation into a new identity based on values aligned with your purpose.
Curiosity: the Foundation of Growth
When you drop your obsession with your old identity and your preconceived notions of how the world operates, you create space and energy for expansion. It’s like the speed and battery performance of a new iPhone: you have this new, clean slate without all the clutter and stuff we’ve collected over time. With this new identity, you are ready to question, experiment and learn, free of ego.
The beauty of curiosity is the ability to wonder, absorb and develop new ideas by taking risks with a growth mindset.
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” If Albert Einstein, one of our smartest physicists, was able to keep a passionate curiosity until the end of his life, I believe we all can keep a fair share, too.
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