Author: Scott Shigeoka
Publisher: Balance (Hachette Book Group)
Publication Date: November 14, 2023
Length: 228 Pages
About the Author
Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and author. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin.
DIVE into Curiosity and Transform Your Life
The author uses the acronym DIVE to explain how curiosity is our superpower;
Detach - Let go of the ABCs (Assumptions, Biases, and Certainty).
Intend - Prepare your mindset and setting.
Value - See the dignity in every person, including yourself.
Embrace - Welcome the hard times in your life.
Readers are encouraged to start practicing deep curiosity and strengthening our capacity to connect and be transformed by the people, places, and experiences we encounter.
My Thoughts
At the beginning of this book, the author describes himself as "a city-dwelling liberal Asian American spiritually queer professor and researcher from Hawaii." He quit his job and spent a year living out of his car and meeting people that he would not normally encounter. He visited rural towns, an Indigenous reservation in Minnesota, a retreat center where nuns and millennials live together, and even a Trump rally. He became a seeker.
This is really an awesome book. It explains the difference between shallow curiosity where we are just seeking information and deep curiosity which is about making someone feel heard, seen, and validated.
The author goes into great detail about using the DIVE model to develop healthy and safe curiosity. He emphasizes the importance of listening and communication skills. Curiosity should always come from a place of genuine desire to know who someone is and how they became that way, not trying to get them to agree with our point of view.
Finally, Mr. Shigeoka suggests the following actions to begin our curiosity journey;
- Articulate curiosity as an important value.
- Embrace curiosity as an identity.
- Bring curiosity into the spaces you're already in.
