Neophilia

Recently, I wrote about my need for change, and the risk of boredom—and worse—if I lose touch with that. Imagine my delight when I came across an article talking about new research on this very phenomenon. Even better, these researchers give it a name: “neophilia” (your basic ancient Greek: “neo,” meaning new, and “philia,” meaning affection). I said to myself, Voilà! (your basic modern French, meaning “Voilà”). Precisely! I love novelty. 

I heard a lot about “novelty-seeking behavior” during my career in psychology. Much of the research tied it to problems: dangerous thrill-seeking behavior, problems with impulse control, alcoholism and substance abuse, etc. The main message was something like, “If you need new, stimulating experiences all the time, if you can’t settle down, if you’re always seeking change, you’re headed for trouble.”

But, as I said the other day, I learned a while ago that the reverse is true for me: If I don’t seek change, that’s when I’m in trouble.

Now, a whole new body of research is exploring this concept of neophilia in a new light. And they’re finding that novelty seeking, when coupled with certain other traits, is actually very good—for the individual and for the world. (I can hear every teenager who’s blissed out on multitasking among YouTube, an iPod, and a thousand smart phone apps: “Well, yeah!”) Those other traits, for the record, include persistence—the ability to stick with a task even through frustration—and “self-transcendence”—a focus on concerns broader than oneself.

So, I just wanted to put in a good word for those of us who love change. Those who, when we’re at our best, seek out novelty at every turn. We may sometimes be impulsive, but our enthusiasm can be put to good ends. And we have our own official label: we are neophiles. I agree heartily with the words (if not the theories; more on that another time) of E. O. Wilson:

“I am a neophile, an inordinate lover of the new, of diversity for its own sake.”