This is an interview with Todd Kashdan, who recently wrote a book on the relationship between Curiosity and Well-being (happiness).

Kashdan-> I have always been an anxiety researcher, especially social anxiety - people that have profound levels of shyness and fear about being evaluated. Then I started seeing people who had energizing and profoundly meaningful social interactions. I started asking them about their motivations and feelings in the midst of social interaction. What kept arising was “I felt interested” or “I was curious.” I realized that curiosity is the counter-motivation to anxiety.