Stepping into the unknown is good for us — and being an explorer
doesn't require skydiving
Catherine Zhu
| CBC Radio | Posted: June 8, 2025 8:00 AM | Last Updated: 3
hours ago
People are all hardwired to explore, and it’s essential to
realizing our fullest potential, says author
Image | A man looking out a cliff
Caption: Exploration goes beyond the thrill — it plays a
meaningful role in shaping our behaviour, sparking curiosity
and nurturing a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
(ERainbow/Shutterstock)
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Media Audio | The Current : Are you an explorer? Alex
Hutchinson says we all are
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For many, the word "explore" brings to mind daring feats:
climbing towering peaks, plunging into ocean depths or soaring
through the air on a skydive. But Alex Hutchinson challenges
people to redefine exploration — suggesting it's not just for
adrenaline junkies.
"There's a middle definition where it's not just about physical
exploration — it's not just about extremes or anything like
that," Hutchinson told The Current's Matt Galloway.
Instead, he says exploration is any moment where we step into
the unknown, take a risk, or seek growth.
Image | Alex Hutchinson
Caption: Alex Hutchinson is a Toronto based science journalist
and author, with a focus on human performance, fitness,
endurance sports and the outdoors. (Facebook)
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"There has to be some stakes — you're venturing into the
unknown, you're taking a path where you don't know how it's
going to turn out — there's probably going to be struggle along
the way."
Hutchinson is the author of The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek
Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,
which explores our innate drive to seek out the unknown.
We're all meant to explore
Exploration may take different forms for each of us, but it's
something we're all built for — hardwired into our biology,
says Hutchinson.
Our brain's pleasure system, the former physicist said, is
wired not just to reward success, but to light up when
something surprises us in a positive way. That surge of
dopamine pushes us to keep seeking new and unexpected
experiences.
Hutchinson points to a simple example: how children are
naturally driven to change things up while playing at the
playground. At first, they're excited to go down the slide, but
after a few turns, curiosity kicks in — they start climbing up
instead, inventing new and creative ways to play.
"They know that the uncertainty is gone, so that's why they're
like, 'OK, now we're going to go up the slide.'"
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Brent Hogarth, a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise
in sport and high-performance psychology in B.C., agrees. He
says the urge to explore is as fundamental as any basic human
need.
"A need just like vitamin C, is the need for exploration and
adventure," he said.
It's powered by what neuroscientists call the seeking system —
a primal drive in the brain that keeps us curious, ambitious
and open to possibility.
Image | Brent Hogarth
Caption: Brent Hogarth is a licensed clinical psychologist
based in Vancouver, specializing in sport and performance
psychology, and works as a mindset coach at Finding Mastery, a
high-performance psychology consulting agency. (Submitted by
Brent Hogarth)
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"When the seeking system gets activated — whether you're on an
adventure, you're learning, you're experimenting at work — we
get a massive hit of dopamine that is not about reward, but
more so, about motivation of wanting to explore more, adventure
more, experiment more," said Hogarth.
Finding balance
Still, knowing when to stretch yourself — and when to step back
— is just as important as the act of exploring itself, says
Hutchinson.
There's also value in staying within our comfort zone — in
knowing when to explore, and when to "exploit" the knowledge
and experience we already have, he says.
Recognizing when to switch between the two is key to avoiding
burnout and maximizing growth.
"As you get better at what you're doing, you have to increase
the challenge … [which] leads to growth because you have to
keep getting on the edge, keep going for it," said Hogarth.
That edge doesn't have to be dramatic. In fact, Hogarth
recommends what he calls "front loading" — small, low-stakes
acts of courage that prepare us for bigger moments.
Start with something as simple as complimenting a stranger or
chatting with the person who makes your coffee, says Hogarth.
These minor moments build the confidence and mental habits
needed to tackle more intimidating goals, like speaking up in a
meeting or taking on a new role.
"When the moment of uncertainty or adventure presents itself,
we've done the work so that we can go for it," he said.
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Veronica Park, a registered clinical counsellor of B.C.,
believes in embracing the limits of our abilities without
shame.
"We [all] can't be Einstein," she said, but added that doesn't
make anyone less valuable, as everyone has their own unique
talents and strengths.
"It's better to stay within that boundary, rather than keep
pushing it and feel like I'm exhausting myself."
Image | Veronica Park
Caption: Veronica Park is a registered clinical counselor based
in Vancouver who supports patients dealing with depression,
anxiety, trauma and relationship challenges. (Submitted by
Veronica Park)
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That's the moment, Park says, when you can acknowledge, "Maybe
this is the boundary of my potential and gifts, and I learn to
take it with humility saying, 'I am satisfied with what I am.'"
Ultimately, Hutchinson says, exploration isn't about perfection
— because by nature, it's uncertain.
He says what matters most is not guaranteed success, but
choosing the path with the greatest potential.
"What you want to do is make choices such that when you're
looking back, even if it went wrong, you will not regret it,"
he said.
"So, you take a chance, you look at what has the biggest
possible upside, what has the best realistic outcome, and you
say, 'Let's try that, and even if it doesn't work, at least I
won't regret trying.'"
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