Neugierde

The German word for curiosity (Neugierde) developed in the 17th Century from the Middle High German adjective meaning “new” (niuwe) and expressed the spirit of the times, the desire to learn or do something new. The word implies the pursuit of the unknown as well as the desire to better understand connections between things and acquire knowledge. Curiosity (Neugierde) expresses the sense of a new era about to dawn in science, philosophy and politics as well as a striving for intellectual maturity.

These days, curiosity has not lost any of its relevance: It expresses the willingness to confront new issues every day and the desire to understand the connections. It may mean getting to know the client better, as well as the client’s industry and sociocultural environment. Or it might mean tackling a task or problem with eyes and ears open and with an alert and lively mind. As an intentional force on the interpersonal level, it forms the basis for exchanging knowledge and for dialogue. On the professional level, curiosity both drives and guarantees a high level of staff training and consciously-promoted knowledge management. It thereby creates the conditions for understanding important connections and relationships, for interdisciplinary thinking and action – and for an effective working approach.