Have you ever gone down an Internet rabbit hole? You start researching one thing, then two hours later, find yourself reading about something entirely different? For example, you could have begun with quantum physics only to somehow find yourself engrossed in an e-book about medieval falconry. Philosopher Perry Zurn and neuroscientist Dani S. Bassett found that people have different approaches to information seeking. Their research shows that these patterns aren’t random, but represent distinct styles of curiosity. This is how we build knowledge, connect ideas, and experience the world. After analyzing the browsing habits of nearly 500,000 Wikipedia users across 50 countries, Zurn and Bassett identified three archetypal curiosity styles: the Hunter, the Busybody, and the Dancer.  Identifying the curiosity style that suits you best can foster mental flexibility—the type associated with greater happiness and resilience. Curiosity research through the years Curiosity has fascinated psychologists for decades. In the 1960s, pioneering researcher Daniel Berlyne drew a crucial distinction between two types of curiosity: Perceptual and Epistemic. Perceptual curiosity drives us to explore new stimuli. It’s the impulse that compels a child to reach for a shiny object or an adult to pause at the sight of an unusual cloud formation. A woman looking at the clouds in the sky. Photo credit: Canva On the other hand, Epistemic curiosity propels us to gain knowledge and understanding. For example, a person might take photos of strange clouds, then identify them in an article about the “ten basic cloud classifications.” In this way, we seek information that moves beyond immediate sensory experiences to build a deeper comprehension. In 2020, psychologist Todd Kashdan expanded our scientific understanding of curiosity through a five-dimensional study that examined its impact on emotional well-being.  His research revealed that joyous exploration—the pleasurable experience of discovering something new—consistently correlates with positive mental health outcomes. Meanwhile, deprivation sensitivity (which stems from an anxious drive to fill gaps in knowledge) carries a complicated emotional tenor, mixing tension and discomfort with the satisfaction of uncovering the truth. These frameworks, put forward by Berlyne and Kashdan, set the stage for Zurn and Bassett’s groundbreaking research on curiosity styles. Meet the styles The Hunter: focused and goal-driven Motivated by a specific mission, Hunters find answers by following a targeted path. Think of them as detectives on a case. When they set out on the quest for information, they stay on the trail. They do not wander. Paying close attention to related topics, they methodically build a tight, constrained network of knowledge. The Hunter searches for answers rationally and methodically. Photo credit: Canva For the Hunter, finding the correct answer isn’t pleasurable—it’s a relief. Imagine a Hunter wants to understand how photosynthesis works. Their curiosity becomes a focused exposition. They read articles, check books out from the library, watch YouTube videos, and listen to podcasts until they’ve finally satisfied their desire to learn. They solve the puzzle.  This laser-focused approach to learning is why you’ll commonly find Hunters in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math. These disciplines value precision, logic, and systematic understanding, which come naturally to them. The Busybody: curious about everything Busybodies are curious explorers who trace zigzagging routes through a wide range of unrelated topics. They’re the quintessential “rabbit hole” adventurers. They gather scattered bits of information across diverse subjects. For the Busybody, learning does not require a fixed plan or a desired conclusion. Busybodies love to jump from topic to topic. Photo credit: Canva A Busybody might begin by reading about the French Revolution. Flipping through the pages, something captures their attention—a detail, a name, an illustration—then they find themselves deep-diving into Japanese tea ceremonies, exploring the nuances of Persian poetry, or delving into the rich history of chocolate. All in one sitting.  This curiosity style creates loose, intricate networks of knowledge that connect fields such as the arts, culture, food, philosophy, and the humanities. Busybodies aren’t driven by the need to solve a problem or complete a task. Instead, they follow their pure interests and enjoy the simple joy of learning. The Dancer: a creative synthesizer The Dancer’s mind does not walk from one idea to the next. It pirouettes. Dancers are the creative synthesizers who take imaginative leaps between seemingly unrelated ideas. They combine existing concepts in new, exciting ways.  Dancers are true creatives who break established norms. Photo credit: Canva Unlike the Busybody, whose intellectual pursuits can feel random, Dancers intentionally seek to break established norms. They create radically discontinuous knowledge paths: the foundation of creative and interdisciplinary thinking.  Think of someone who applies philosophy paradigms to their astronomy thesis, or an artist who champions the parallels between musical composition and architectural design. Dancers don’t passively collect information like stamps in a book. They actively transform it.  The Wikipedia study To explore modern curiosity styles, Zurn and Bassett teamed up with communications scientist David Lydon-Staley. Their first study tracked 149 participants in Philadelphia who browsed Wikipedia for 15 minutes daily over three weeks.  Next, they expanded their research. The team analyzed the browsing patterns of nearly half a million users of the Wikipedia mobile app across 50 countries and 14 languages. For each person, they mapped a “knowledge network” to see which articles they visited and how the topics related to one another. A graph breaking down the data from the Wikipedia research study. Photo credit: Amanda Montañez The patterns were clear as three groups emerged. In one, readers formed right clusters of closely related articles. Others built expansive networks covering a wide range of topics. A third group made creative leaps, linking distant knowledge in unexpected ways. Respectively, these groups formed the basis for Zurn and Bassett’s curiosity archetypes: Hunters, Busybodies, and Dancers. Curiosity and mental health: the Hunter’s paradox The study revealed a surprising link between curiosity styles and mental health. Participants who browsed Wikipedia in a focused, goal-oriented manner—the Hunters—reported higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to those who browsed more freely. This finding is consistent with Kashdan’s research on deprivation curiosity. To assuage the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing, the search itself can become stressful. The relief from finding the answer doesn’t bring joy. It just eases the tension.  Conversely, the exploratory nature associated with the other two curiosity styles—the Dancer and the Busybody—can have a protective effect. With these styles, curiosity stems from genuine interest and a sense of wonder, allowing them to engage in a discovery process that feels positive, open, and less pressured.  By focusing less on outcomes and more on the process, we may find ourselves embracing the possibility of unexpected results.  How to cultivate your curiosity Your curiosity style isn’t set in stone. Zurn explains that curiosity is a practice. We can learn to strengthen different styles, as we see fit.  For Hunters looking to expand their horizons, set aside time for aimless exploration. While researching your next project, allow yourself to click on an unexpected link—even just one. No matter how trivial or off-topic it may look, see where it takes you.  For the curious but scattered Busybodies, experiment with the “three-click” rule. When you start reading something interesting, commit to exploring at least three related articles before moving on to a new topic. This will build a deeper understanding of specific areas. For aspiring Dancers, search for connections between incongruent fields. Ask yourself, “How is this similar to something unrelated that I know?” Push past the obvious answers. Allow space for weird, strange, and offbeat ties and relationships to come forward. You could start with “Connections,” a game by The New York Times.  A screenshot from The New York Times game “Connections.” Remember, all three styles of curiosity serve different purposes. As Bassett emphasizes, each plays an important role. Hunters are society’s experts, people who have mastered a domain and can solve hyper-specific problems. Busybodies fuel the engines of serendipity, amassing a wide range of knowledge that can lead to unexpected insights and creative reframing. Dancers are our original thinkers and innovators, breaking patterns and discovering new, unexplored intellectual terrain.  With great mental flexibility, one can use all three styles and switch between them as needed.  Your curiosity matters Understanding your curiosity style is more than an intellectual exercise. It’s deeply personal. The way you seek and connect information shapes how you learn. It impacts your mental health. Curiosity lies at the foundation of making connections: between ideas, people, and the inner and outer worlds we’re always trying to make sense of.  The next time you find yourself deep in a rabbit hole, reflect on the path you took to get there. Are you searching for clear answers? Collecting ideas as they pique your interest? Or are you exploring the connections between nonlinear subjects?  Keep going. Your curiosity is worth cultivating.  The post Are you a Hunter, Busybody, or Dancer? Why your curiosity style matters appeared first on Upworthy.

She wasn’t hard to please. She ate almost everything, loved most cuisines, and was perfectly comfortable sitting across from someone who ordered a drink with dinner. She had exactly two requests for a second date: somewhere that served food she could eat, and somewhere that wasn’t a bar. That’s it. He picked two bars. The story, shared in late January 2026 by Reddit user u/EquivalentOk6093, has been circulating widely because so many people recognize exactly what happened here. The 28-year-old woman had met a 38-year-old man through a dating app. Their first date went well enough, over coffee, and when they started planning a follow-up dinner, he offered to handle the reservations. She told him what he needed to know: she avoided red meat for health reasons, and she was a recovering alcoholic with nearly two years of sobriety. She wouldn’t be drinking. She was clear that she didn’t mind if he ordered something, but alcohol wasn’t on the table for her. AITAH for canceling a date over the location? byu/EquivalentOk6093 inAITAH The night before the planned date, he sent over his choices. The first was a cocktail lounge she’d never heard of. She looked it up. The menu offered a meat and cheese board, a pepperoni pizza, a burger, and a cheese pizza. One option she could eat. He then suggested they cap the evening at a nearby art-themed bar for a nightcap. Two venues. Both bars. No food she could meaningfully eat at either. No acknowledgment of anything she’d told him. “At that point, I was honestly pretty thoroughly confused,” she wrote in her post. Patrons enjoy a drink at a fancy bar. Photo credit: Canva She canceled. His response: “We’ll leave it at that.” What made her story resonate with so many readers wasn’t the canceled date itself. It was her reasoning. She wasn’t angry, exactly. She was paying attention. A city full of restaurants, two stated needs, and he’d come back with two bars. To her, that gap between what she’d shared and what he’d planned felt less like an oversight and more like a signal. “I could tell he wasn’t testing my sobriety,” she clarified, “but he was kind of testing my willingness to put his preferences ahead of my own needs.” She doubted herself afterward, as many people do when they hold a line. But she came back to the same conclusion. For people in recovery, the nuances of dating are genuinely complicated. Having to explain sobriety to a relative stranger, to distinguish between “I’m sober” and “I need you to change everything about your social life,” and to figure out whether someone’s choice of venue reflects carelessness or something more revealing, is exhausting work that doesn’t come up in most dating advice. As alcohol rehab resource AlcoholRehabHelp.org notes, experts recommend having authentic conversations about sobriety early, precisely so both people can figure out quickly whether they’re actually compatible. The woman who posted this story wasn’t looking for someone to stop drinking on her behalf. She was looking for someone who listened. She mentioned in her post that her life was already full: a small business she’d built herself, good friends, hobbies she loved, her own home. “I am in no rush to settle down, especially for the wrong person,” she wrote. The Reddit response was largely in her corner. Commenters pointed out that the bar selection wasn’t just inconsiderate; it also left her, practically speaking, with almost nothing to eat. A cheese pizza is not a dinner. The man’s terse sign-off, those four words, “We’ll leave it at that,” didn’t help his case. Two simple needs. Hundreds of restaurants to choose from. And the two places he picked happened to be the two kinds of places she’d implicitly ruled out the week before. Sometimes a date doesn’t work out because of bad luck or mismatched chemistry. Sometimes the restaurant choices really do say it all. @kate_garn Dating while sober #soberlife #soberdating #soberjourney #sobertok #fyp ♬ original sound – kate_garn This article originally appeared earlier this year. The post She told him she was a recovering alcoholic. Then he picked two bars for their second date. appeared first on Upworthy.

In an experiment that exceeded scientists’ expectations, mice had their type-1 diabetes cured through a double-transplant method. Additionally, there was no host rejection of one one of the two types of transplanted cells, and the immune system didn’t attack the other, resulting in a diabetes cure without any side-effects. Obviously caveats must be drawn from […] The post Stanford Cures Type-1 Diabetes in Mice Without Insulin or Immune Suppression appeared first on Good News Network.

Torchy Swinson, a self-described great-grandmother of seven, has figured out a formula for imparting wisdom in both a heartfelt and hilarious way. In fact, her effortless ability to chat with her social media audience has garnered her over one million followers on TikTok alone. Her hook is this: she begins each clip with the line, “I was gonna tell you something,” which sounds like the elderly loved ones so many of us personally know. The idea is that, perhaps, she thought of something to say, forgot it, and then remembered again. This is followed by her thoughts on life or just a story about her day. A smiling elderly woman. – Photo credit: Canva Photos In one viral video (with over 1.7 million views and nearly 63,000 likes), she simply talks about something she learned in school. Her Southern accent in full force, she says, “I was gonna tell you something. Y’all I’m so glad that I learned about parallelograms instead of taxes when I went to school. Cuz it comes in so handy, this parallelogram season.” She then adorably rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Many on Facebook can relate. “We were talking about that yesterday. How kids are not taught to write a check and balance it,” someone comments. Another commenter goes even further, writing, “The amount of times that fractions and decimals have saved my life is incredible! I am so glad they taught me this rather than investments and retirement funds. On another note, can I just say when you pop up and I hear that ‘I was gonna tell y’all something….’ it just makes my day. It’s so refreshing to hear someone else having the same thoughts and feelings regarding these insane times. I sure love you!” In an interview with First Alert 7, Swinson explained that her oldest great-granddaughter set her up on TikTok in 2020. Thinking she would share a joke or a poem, she rechecked a few months later to find she had become quite popular. @first.alert.7 We talked to @Torchy Swinson yesterday about how she got started on TikTok tune in to the newscasts tonight to see our Hendricks Hero! community hero fyp permianbasin westtexas ♬ original sound – First Alert 7 In another clip, Swinson begins with her standard, “I was gonna tell you something.” She leads us to believe this might be a serious post, but it takes a turn: “I may look alright on the outside. But inside, I’ve already had to say ‘bless your heart’ three times.” View this post on Instagram An Instagrammer lovingly responds, “Bless your heart every moment of every day from an old TikTok follower from way back.” Some of her videos cite biblical Psalms, which her audience greatly appreciates. At other times, she simply offers good old-fashioned advice about aging: “I was gonna tell you something. I just reached the last years of the ‘I’ll be so glad when…’ I wasted so much time on that. ‘I’ll be so glad when they’re out of diapers. I’ll be so glad when they start school. I’ll be so glad when they’re out of school. I’ll be so glad when this, when that…when we can retire.’ If I could tell you one thing, and I’m not trying to be that old wise woman giving you advice, but if I could tell you one thing. Don’t postpone joy. Find your joy in what’s happening today, cuz that’s where it lies.” @torchyswinson2 ♬ original sound – Torchy Swinson There are over 20,000 comments just on this clip. Singer Michael Bublé writes, “You’re not trying to be a wise woman. You simply are a wise woman.” Another TikToker shares, “There is joy in every stage! Love it all, because you’ll miss it when it’s gone.” The post Torchy Swinson, a Southern great-grandmother, gives the most iconic advice and people are riveted appeared first on Upworthy.

Have you ever been in a meeting where something appeared…off, but you couldn’t explain why? That subtle feeling is the Icelandic concept of intuition known as InnSæi (pronounced “in-sy-ay”). While many of us dismiss gut feelings as “woo woo,” neuroscience is beginning to prove otherwise. Research from institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Human Development shows that our intuition is very real. Researchers report that intuition results from our unconscious mind processing information much faster than our rational brain. Your body senses subtle clues and patterns you don’t consciously notice, communicating through hunches and that feeling of “just knowing.” In our hyperconnected world, we’ve grown distant from this inner wisdom. Notifications ping, feeds scroll endlessly, and information floods in from every direction, taking us far away from InnSæi. To do so, it’s worth asking: what if you could reconnect with this lost sense? What if you could tap into this hidden intelligence to make better decisions, lower stress, and handle life’s uncertainties with more confidence? This brings us to InnSæi. Let’s explore what it means, why it’s more relevant than ever, and how you can begin cultivating it today. The true meaning of InnSæi The word InnSæi combines two Icelandic roots: Inn (meaning “inside” or “inward”) and ‌Sæi (to see, also evoking “sær,” meaning “sea”). This beautiful, poetic compound reflects three connected aspects of intuition. A person sits in front of the ocean with their back to the camera. Photo credit: Canva The sea within This refers to the ongoing activity of your unconscious mind: a place of imagination, vision, and quick pattern recognition that works below conscious awareness. Neuroscientist Joel Pearson describes intuition as “the learned, productive use of unconscious information.” Your mind is constantly active, continually connecting ideas, like a steady, ever-moving current. Research shows that our brains begin processing decisions up to seven seconds before we are consciously aware of them. To see within Self-awareness, also known as metacognition, is like a mirror for your mind, allowing you to clearly observe your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. It helps you differentiate genuine intuition from fears, biases, or wishful thinking that can obscure judgment. Studies show that developing metacognitive skills improves emotional control and boosts decision-making. By turning your focus inward, you can block out the noise and pay attention to what truly matters in your inner world. To see from the outside This dimension represents an inner compass, or the natural competence to steer life’s uncertainties with inspired confidence. It focuses less on strict rules and more on staying true to your authentic values and deeper intuition. This compass provides clarity, focus, and fortitude, guiding you through the most chaotic times. Why intuition is more important than ever We live in an era of constant information overload. Today, an average person consumes more data in a single day than someone in the 15th century did in a lifetime. Our attention has become a limited resource, continuously pulled by content algorithms, 24-hour news cycles, and endless virtual distractions. Three children play with a tablet. Photo credit: Canva This nonstop flow of information can drown out your intuition. It creates a disconnect from your body, your internal signals, and the indicators that could guide you toward the right path. As Icelandic author and intuition expert Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir notes, “We’ve outsourced our inner expertise.” Intuition embodies more than just a desirable trait; it is a key part of innovation, creativity, and effective leadership. A 2017 study found that Nobel laureates see intuition as a key factor in their revolutionary findings. Similarly, business leaders often credit their most successful decisions, especially in uncertain or urgent situations, to their gut instincts. Intuition is like a muscle—you can strengthen it through practice. Four ways to cultivate your InnSæi 1. Connect with your gut (5-15 minutes) Your body holds subconscious knowledge. When something feels wrong, you might notice tension in your stomach, tightness in your chest, or a sense of unease. These bodily signals often happen before you become consciously aware of the issue. Try this: Take a few slow, deep breaths. Put one hand on your stomach and notice its movement with each inhale and exhale. Ask yourself what you are sensing—warmth, tension, calm, or unease. Name these feelings silently or out loud. Notice any changes as you breathe and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Do this daily to make the signals more familiar. Ask yourself simple, honest questions: How am I feeling today? Is this decision aligned with who I am right now? Notice whether your stomach feels at ease or tense. With regular practice, your body’s internal signals grow clearer. 2. Keep a daily journal (5-15 minutes) Stream-of-consciousness journaling is a profoundly effective way to gain mental clarity. Letting thoughts drift freely onto paper without editing or restraint creates mental space. Research shows that handwriting improves clarity and memory more than typing. Someone writes in their journal. Photo credit: Canva Try this: Set a timer for 5 to 15 minutes and write without stopping. Do not analyze, censor, or judge what you write—just keep the pen moving. If you hit a blank, write “I don’t know what to write” repeatedly until another thought appears. Afterward, briefly review what you wrote and make a note of any emotions or physical sensations you notice. Over time, you’ll begin to observe patterns: recurring fears, internal critical voices that aren’t yours, or repetitive thought loops. Building this awareness helps you distinguish between true intuition and mental chatter. As you write, pay attention to your body. Observe physical reactions to your ideas. 3. Be mindful of what captures your attention Your focus is the gateway to intuition. It shapes your inner world and your perception of reality. Yet, we rarely notice what captures our attention during the day. Try this: Carry a small notebook throughout your day. When something captures your attention—a phrase, a color, or a strong emotion—immediately write it down, noting the time and place. Keep this up for a week. A woman writes in her journal. Photo credit: Canva At the end of the week, review your notebook. Select 10 words or phrases that stand out most. Write these in a vertical list on a new page. Spend two minutes simply observing the list—do not analyze. Notice if feelings, ideas, or connections come to mind. Write down any motifs or impressions that arise. Paying close attention to your focus uncovers the underlying influences shaping you. This can function as a strong catalyst for creativity. 4. Cultivate flow (60 minutes) Flow is the magical state where you forget about time and self, fully immersed in what you’re doing. Research shows that in states of flow, the brain decreases activity in executive control regions and increases activity in sensory areas, creating space for intuitive insights to surface. A woman in a black dress holds a scarf in the wind. Photo credit: Canva Try this: Select a task that is meaningful but slightly challenging for you. Set a timer for 60 minutes. Remove all potential distractions (phone, notifications), and consider playing only instrumental music. Focus on the task without stopping to judge or edit. Afterward, take three minutes to note how you felt and any thoughts that came to you during the session. Gunnsteinsdóttir used this technique when developing a strategy for her work on InnSæi. She downloaded a template, set a timer, and let her vision flow onto the page. “I didn’t stop to think about what I was writing; I simply allowed what emerged to flow,” she explains. After 60 minutes, she read what she had written and made only minor tweaks. After your flow session, reflect in your journal: Did you lose sense of time? What would you do differently next time? Did this state help you access your inner compass? Charting your way forward In tough times, a strong InnSæi is vital. Trusted intuition anchors you and yields richer guidance. Begin with one small new practice: spend five minutes on intentional breathing each morning, or write a journal entry at night thinking about how your body felt that day. Keep a notebook for tracking observations that catch your attention. Schedule one 60-minute flow session each week. Track your progress in your journal and review it weekly to notice changes or patterns. A person in a white t-shirt and colorful hat sits in front of the water with their back to the camera. Photo credit: Canva With practice, your inner signals grow clearer. Observation becomes sharper, decisions more confident, and you handle uncertainty with ease. Your ever-present intuition is a steady guide. Will you make space to listen? Begin now—your inner compass is prepared to guide you. The post ‘To see within’: How the Icelandic concept ‘InnSæi’ can help you make better decisions appeared first on Upworthy.