Curiosity vs Convenience
Curiosity has always been one of my favourite human traits. It’s what makes us pause, wonder, and ask, “What if?” or “Could this be better?” It’s the quiet spark that moves us forward and helps us see new possibilities.
Convenience, though, has its own appeal. It saves time, simplifies our lives, and helps us get through the day. In the middle of deadlines, meetings, and competing priorities, convenience often feels like a gift. But I’ve been thinking lately about how easy it is to lean too far into it, especially when it comes to the way we use technology at work. Somewhere between curiosity and convenience lies a fine line, and the way we balance it says a lot about how we show up in our roles and our relationships.
When I think about curiosity, I think about those moments when I don’t just accept an answer, but want to understand the reasoning behind it. It’s that urge to learn how something works, not just what it does. Curiosity keeps me engaged. It challenges me to test, explore, and question, to use tools thoughtfully instead of passively. When curiosity leads, I’m still the one thinking, I’m not handing that responsibility over to technology.
But then there’s the convenience trap. It starts small. Forwarding a summary instead of reading the full document. Sending a prewritten message instead of adding a personal note. Relying on a system or tool to do the thinking that used to belong to me. Each shortcut feels harmless, but over time they add up, and before we notice, we start losing the depth and connection that make our work meaningful.
Convenience makes things faster, but it can also make them shallower. It can trick us into mistaking motion for progress, or activity for value. The trap isn’t in using convenient tools…it’s in forgetting to care. Because once we stop caring, we stop noticing, and that’s when our standards, our creativity, and even our relationships begin to slip.
I’ve realised that the balance between curiosity and convenience comes down to intent. Am I using AI tools to enhance my work, or to avoid the effort it takes to think deeply? Am I leaning on convenience to make space for better ideas, or just to tick another task off the list?
For me, responsible use means staying curious. It means asking better questions, taking time to add my own context, checking things before I share them, and remembering that no matter how good the technology is, the accountability still lies with me.
I’ve seen that the most effective teams aren’t necessarily the fastest or the most automated, they’re the ones that stay curious. They question, explore, and think together. Curiosity builds capability and trust. Convenience builds efficiency, but without curiosity beside it, it can turn into complacency.
So I try to remind myself when I reach for the easy path, pause. Ask one more question. Add something of my own. Reconnect with the reason behind the work.
Because curiosity takes effort, but it’s that effort that keeps me human.
