Do you love horror? Or would you rather drink a whole bottle of Sriracha than even hear about anything horror-related? Or are you one of those people who are obsessed with horror movies and shows, but would strongly prefer to sleep at night with all the lights in the house turned on and preferably all of your neighbors’ lights, and street lights turned on, too? 

Well, regardless of where you stand on the horror scale, you have to admit that something about the unknown, unanswered, and unsolved events around the world is fascinating. 

Whether it be going through numerous articles about unsolved mysteries and conspiracy theories, or binge-watching Buzzfeed Unsolved, and then indulging in some self-research and going down the rabbit hole of true crime stories, we enjoy the thrill that comes with the eeriness of the unknown– even if it means being awake the whole night, either thinking about the case or being paranoid.

But why? Why are we interested in these things even when they make us uneasy? It’s because curiosity is a natural human instinct– an instinct that tends to fade over time once we start growing up.

“Babies learn more during their first three months of life than students do in four years,” says Alison Gopkin, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

This is because of curiosity. Babies and toddlers are curious. They’re curious about the new things around them and curious to know more.

Even though being curious about a crime seems way different than being curious about how a pencil sharpener works, both of the interests are provoked by the same factor– the need to know more about the unknown. In both cases, the curious person wants to know more about the things they are unaware of.

While you may think that scrolling through theories about the Bermuda Triangle or Area 51 is unproductive, being curious is really not all that bad.

Curiosity helps us explore and adapt to our surroundings. It’s the reason our brain releases dopamine when we discover something new; it’s sort of the brain’s way of saying “good job!”

Furthermore, when we are curious about something, and we find the answer to our question, we are more likely to remember it than when we are not interested in the topic or if we’re being casually introduced to the topic. 

In fact, curiosity is also equally important to intelligence when it comes to gaining success. Students with a lower intelligence quotient but more “curiosity” receive scores comparable to students with more conventional intelligence.

Even Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talent. I am just passionately curious.” 

So no, being a little too curious about creepy things is not abnormal. Even if it makes you want to bury yourself under five blankets every night.

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