Hey GenXer. To get as far as you’ve gone in the corporate world, you developed some performance skills. Not the jazz hands version of performing, but you learned to play a role that abides by the arbitrary rules of a culture.
That type of performance is like protective armor, and it served you well.
But now the corporate world is wearing thin. You’re ready to get out of there and build something of your own.
And then it hits: you don’t remember what you like, and you don’t care to find out.
Curiosity is how you interrupt the spiral. It replaces self-judgment with observation, and that changes everything.
There are some good reasons for your lack of interest in exploration. And you can reawaken it when you’re ready.
How Corporate Culture Kills Curiosity, and What It Costs You
If there’s one thing that the corporate world is great at, it’s training you to behave in certain ways. You put a pleasant smile on your face, use lots of exclamation points in your emails, and shake hands firmly with your skip level. That gets you the good reviews and promotions.
You figure out how to solve problems within the context of what your company culture can tolerate. And you learn quickly that it’s a narrow window.
Early on in your tenure, you probably took some risks and got your hand slapped. That taught you to dampen your curiosity to avoid negative consequences.
Here’s an example from my own corporate career.
I once led an initiative to reimagine a company logo. I instructed the designers to think creatively and explore wild ideas. They did, and I loved the sketches they came up with.
When we presented their work to the company leaders, all the air went out of the room.
We had strayed too far from their comfort zone and poked at a design they considered unchangeable. The designers resented me for putting them in harm’s way, and they learned to bury their best ideas going forward.
The designers also learned that curiosity equals punishment. You may have learned this as well.
Sure, you applied tempered curiosity in service of the company’s goals. But the muscle started to weaken. When curiosity feels like risk, you’re less likely to use it inside the job and outside, for your own benefit. Over time, you deprioritized exploration that didn’t fit inside your job description.
Why Curiosity Feels Risky After Corporate Life
Tamping down your ideas to stay out of trouble at work isn’t failure. It was a smart adaptation to your surroundings. You did what you needed to do in order to stay sane while working there.
To feel truly curious and act on it, you must feel safe. If you’ve been in a company or type of job where curiosity is inherently risky and could bring you disappointment, it would make no sense to pursue it.
So your armor might be activated and running the show. How can you tell?
Let me ask you a few questions. What’s your passion? What do you absolutely love doing outside work? What’s the most fun thing you do every day?
If your gut response is eye-rolling, sarcasm, or contempt, congratulations! Your armor is working.
Why GenX High-Performers Struggle With Exploration
That’s all fine, but you need to get out of your corporate job and figure out the next thing. That means increasing your capacity for risk and inserting a pause between a question and an eye-roll.
You can be skeptical and still be curious. You’re not trying to be converted. You’re trying to stay awake.
This can feel challenging. How can you be expected to switch to exploration mode while you’re still operating in a low-curiosity environment? You wouldn’t parachute out of a plane without some training, right?
You’re already great at learning new things and you are trainable. Every single thing you do in your job, as a parent, and as a friend, you had to learn, fail, and learn again. Consider curiosity as the next skill to develop.
Curiosity is a Muscle
Let’s go back to where we started. Because you spent all that time developing your performance skills and you’re a good learner, you already have what you need to work on your curiosity skills.
Think of curiosity not as a feeling, but as a muscle. When that muscle is underdeveloped, using it feels exhausting. But when you keep doing the reps, you get stronger.
I’m saying you can practice curiosity. You can repeat the action until it feels easy and gives you energy rather than drains it.
What would this look like in practice?
First, remember that this is like performance training. You don’t actually have to FEEL curious about what you’re going to investigate. You’re just practicing.
Ask a friend about something you don’t know the answer to and whose answer is not in Google. It could be about that friend’s hobbies or family, or it could be about some topic only they know about. It barely matters what it is. Just ask.
After they answer you, ask a follow-up question. If you’re cringing already, you’re not alone. Practicing curiosity, especially when it feels forced, can initially feel awkward.
But people love talking about themselves. More likely than not, your friend will be delighted that you’re showing an interest in something that’s never come up before. They’ll see you as a great listener.
And here’s the thing: at some point, your friend will say something that actually sparks your interest. The curiosity becomes real. It stops feeling like a performance, because you’re no longer faking it. You’re in it.
You don’t have to force inspiration or wait for passion to strike.
Curiosity doesn’t require certainty, just movement.
And every time you practice, you prove something to yourself:
You’re not just good at performing.
You’re good at learning, experimenting.
At choosing what matters, and letting it change you.
Not everything you’re curious about needs to become a business idea or a side hustle.
Some of it is just for you. You get to follow what pulls at you, no justification required.
You don’t need a whole plan. Just one spark, and the guts to trust it.
Burn the map. Build what fits.
