Who Am I?

Exploring your identity.

by Kristine Anthis, Ph.D.

7 Clues to Identity Achievement: Part 4

Are you curious?

Published on September 29, 2011 by Kristine Anthis, Ph.D. in Who Am I?

Are you curious?

Curious about other people's religious beliefs? Do you find yourself wondering what it means to be democrat, republican, progressive, and conservative? Are you interested in film, music, dance, theatre, and photography? Do you like to travel whenever you can? Are you interested in trying new foods? Do you pay attention to your feelings?

If you answered yes to many of these questions, you probably score high on a personality trait that psychologists call Openness to Experience. People who are open to experiences tend to enjoy learning about new things, appreciate the arts, and they tend to be curious, sensitive, imaginative, and tolerant of ideas and of people who are different.

What does all of this have to do with Identity though?

Well, the fourth clue to becoming Identity Achieved is being open to experiences. Research shows achievement and openness are correlated positively. This means that the more curious and open a person is, the more likely he or she is in the Identity Achievement status.

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Which, as we know, is the most adaptive of the four identity statuses.

Remember, individuals who are in the Identity Achievement status are more likely to function well under stress, they are more likely to use mature moral reasoning, and they are more likely to have more intimate relationships.

So being curious, open to new ideas, and tolerant of people who are different allows us to have richer experiences -- and it's good for us!