Hint: It’s more than those with whom you grew up.

Part 5 of the Curiosity series, where I chat with a few folks about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to figure out how to satisfy it.

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

What are you curious about in life?

Why this episode matters

Let’s talk about that word, “curiosity.”

I think a lot about curiosity. You could say, I’m curious about being curious. Being curious naturally forces us to slow down, to take ourselves off the autopilot or cruise control mode that is daily life for most of us. Being curious encourages us to engage more meaningfully with others at work, at home, and at school. As we’ll hear in this series, being curious lays several other key benefits right at our feet.

I’ve asked several people to come on the show in this series to talk very briefly about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to figure out how to satisfy it. My goal here is to have you, my listeners, experience a spark of curiosity and maybe disengage your own autopilot.

“What I really find fascinating and baffling and endlessly amusing is how much we are a product of our contexts and how we grew up and where we grew up. And the systems that dictated how society worked, where we grew up.”

— Charlotte Wittenkamp

My guest

My guest in this episode is Charlotte Wittenkamp. I met Charlotte on LinkedIn, and she immediately impressed me as someone who could help raise my thinking game. If you’re not connected to her, you should be. Charlotte is originally from Denmark, where she worked in organizational development, primarily in the finance industry. Charlotte has lived in California since 1998.

The third edition of Charlotte’s book *Building Bridges Across Cultural Differences*, *Why Don’t I Follow Your Norms?* comes out later this year.

Her own experiences relocating led her to secure an MS in org. Psychology with research into global differences in value systems and communication patterns. Many of her “learning experiences” are shared as a columnist for BizCatalyst360.com and on her website USDKExpats.org. She leads a multinational and multigenerational communication training group.

Connect with Charlotte

Email

Referenced

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Amani Perry

Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues by David L. Bradford and Carole Robin.

Show Credits

"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.

"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.