In Episode 2 of Train.Brain.Daily, Morry Morgan and Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson explore curiosity as a serious cognitive skill rather than simply an interest in asking questions. They define curiosity as the ability to escape one’s current view of a situation in order to search for a better view. Because the brain naturally forms quick conclusions and then tends to defend them, curiosity requires conscious training. The discussion introduces CVS—Current View of the Situation—and BVS—Better View of the Situation—along with the X10 approach of generating many more possible options than the first obvious answer.

They argue that schools, workplaces and social habits often discourage curiosity by rewarding certainty, right answers and avoidance of mistakes. Yet the brain is neuroplastic: with regular practice, people can learn to challenge assumptions, play devil’s advocate and explore alternatives. This is especially valuable in business, where organisations often rely on memos or one-off seminars instead of investing in meaningful thinking training.

Morry illustrates the idea through his current consulting work with an education technology company that provides software for schools. By becoming curious about the wider school ecosystem, he explored the role of casual relief teacher agencies rather than focusing only on the company’s immediate customers. He proposed that these agencies could become advocates and referral partners: if they valued the technology and recommended it to schools and teachers, they could create a powerful word-of-mouth growth channel. This demonstrated how curiosity can uncover indirect pathways—moving not simply from A to B, but through new connections and opportunities.

The pair also apply curiosity to sales. Rather than “always be closing,” they advocate “always be starting”: contacting customers, listening to their needs and learning from both yeses and noes. Dr Hewitt-Gleeson stresses that people cannot simply be argued out of their current view; instead, effective strategy involves finding and engaging people whose brains are ready to consider something new.

The episode concludes that curiosity drives science, innovation and progress. Instead of defending the “right” answer, better thinkers continually seek a better diagnosis, a better option and a better view of the situation.

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