The Importance Of Curiousity (Episode 3 - Archive)The Importance Of Curiousity (Episode 3 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about how staying curious can soften judgment, challenge rigid thinking and support growth in recovery and faith. They reflect on their own experiences of asking better questions and choosing understanding over being right.
7:03•28 Jul 2026
Staying Curious: How Questions Change Recovery and Relationships
Episode Overview
- Curiosity can transform how people see others, turning perceived enemies into potential friends through patient questioning.
- Judgment often hides a fear of being wrong, both about other people and about oneself.
- Growth in recovery is closely tied to change, and curiosity pushes people toward that change.
- Strong moral or faith convictions can coexist with curiosity, which helps refine rather than erase those beliefs.
- Shifting from trying to be right to trying to understand deepens relationships, especially with those who hold different beliefs.
“"Curiosity, like, forces people to change. And we're talking about like growth is change. And if you don't want to grow, just be judgmental."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction and still stay open-hearted? This conversation from Relational Recovery centres on one simple but challenging habit: staying curious. Host Wes Thompson shares how his own coach recently pushed him with hard questions about his assumptions and frustrations. That experience leads into a story about a former Ohio State rowing coach who couldn’t stand a rival from another school—until he actually talked to him.
Once he heard about the man’s war‑torn upbringing, everything changed. As Wes puts it, "after I talked to him and after I asked him questions, after I learned more about him, I had a newfound respect and appreciation for who he was as a person." Co-host Austin Hill unpacks why curiosity feels risky. He suggests that asking honest questions may force people to face the possibility that they’re wrong about others—and about themselves.
"Curiosity, like, forces people to change," he says, tying it straight into growth and recovery. If growth is change, staying judgmental becomes a handy way to stay stuck. The pair also wrestle with what curiosity looks like for people of faith. As Christians, they talk about having firm beliefs while still remaining open to learning.
Austin notes that curiosity doesn’t weaken convictions; it helps "better define what those things are." Wes adds that he’s less interested in winning arguments these days and more focused on understanding friends who don’t share his beliefs. This episode speaks to anyone in recovery who’s tired of rigid thinking and broken relationships, and who wants more compassion, connection and honesty in their life.
It gently asks: what might happen in your recovery if, instead of trying to be right, you got genuinely curious about yourself and the people around you?
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