The Psychology of Trying New Things
Believe it or not, there are many psychological benefits to trying new things, embracing new experiences, and meeting new acquaintances. Now, before I continue, I want to clarify that I am by no means an expert in this field. I'm just a layman giving my thoughts on the matter based on observations that I've made over the years. With that out of the way, I'd like to quickly point out the three main categories I want to highlight in this blog. These categories are some of the more interesting psychological benefits that I believe one can enjoy when they expose themselves to new, positive experiences, things, and people:
Expand your horizons.
Overcome your fears.
Expand your worldview.
The first category that I mentioned above is the most important when it comes to self-development. Expanding your horizons is a broad category that can be applied to your skillsets, knowledge on particular topics, self-confidence, etc. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is honestly the most effective when achieving such goals. For instance, I began writing blogs and stories not too long ago. I've never really considered writing, in general, a strong suit of mine. But I am of the firm belief that we should continue to develop ourselves as human beings. Whether it be a family member, friend, member of society, partner, or co-worker, it is vital to continually pursue that personal improvement when trying to live your best life. Therefore, developing my writing skills became essential since it is a beneficial tool in coherently exploring and conveying my creativity and thoughts. In striving to develop this skill, I can express myself in ways I had not thought of before. And with that feeling of becoming more effective in using various writing mediums to tell me comes an incredible sense of satisfaction and motivation to continue that development.
Desiring to overcome your fears is often a great motivation for trying new experiences. Of course, engaging in such actions should not be done so recklessly but instead with purpose and after careful deliberation. Unfortunately, many people continue to live with fears that can even be crippling or stunt their growth as a person. There are many reasons people make such choices, and we can respect the complexity that often infuses these choices. But in a general context, the confrontation of one's fears is liberating. It opens up a new way of thinking relative to that fear that was once a roadblock, whether minor or major. One such example is a relatively common fear of glossophobia (aka the fear of public speaking). This particular fear is especially detrimental because it directly inhibits your ability to verbalize your ideas, express your creativity, and provide solutions to problems that potentially affect the lives of many people. Some palatable approaches that may help alleviate this fear include joining a Toastmasters group, speaking on a familiar topic in front of friends and close colleagues, or appearing at an" open mic" night at a local venue that conducts such events. These are to name a few. The idea is to start small within a relatively safe environment where you have support from the audience who want to see you succeed, preferably speaking on a knowledgeable topic.
Expanding one's worldview is essential for sustained growth as a person, and trying new things can go a long way in helping this cause. Doing this allows you to see things from points of view that you had become accustomed to up until then. There are several reasons why expanding your worldview will positively impact your life. Still, the most important reason is that it will allow you to empathize with others from a background different from your own. This does not have to necessarily focus on their plights but also their joys and successes. Having such insight into the complexities of other people's views not only helps you feel more connected to the larger community (local, regional, national, or global) but also expand your knowledge of the world around you. Trying new things such as learning about people's cultures outside of your can be highly effective in achieving this goal. Better yet, meeting and getting to know people who don't look, act, or think like you can be some of the best education that you could ever receive. Or it could be as simple as watching educational internet videos on the history of various countries. Whichever routes you choose to expand your worldview, make sure that they are ways that continually pique your interest and keep you engaged in learning more about the relative unknown.
The categories I mention above are only a partial commentary on the beneficial impacts of experiencing new things or meeting new people. Of course, I am aware that pursuing these unique experiences, bits of knowledge, relationships, etc., may not always be positive in real-life scenarios. However, I do know that without these pursuits, people will cease to grow as individuals. And when that personal growth ceases to blossom, that is the point at which you begin the path away from reaching your full potential.