ADHD, Curiosity and Evolution

Distractibility and Impulsivity in ADHD as an Evolutionary Mismatch of High Trait Curiosity

Hello, curious minds!

I hope you’re all doing well and have been enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

This week, I’ve been diving into a fascinating paper by Anne-Laure Le Cunff, which re-examines ADHD not as a disorder, but as an evolutionary trait. Instead of seeing distractibility and impulsivity as deficits, what if they were once valuable survival tools?

Below, I break down the key insights from the paper and how they challenge traditional views of ADHD.

ADHD & The Curiosity Mismatch

ADHD is often associated with difficulty focusing, impulsivity, and restlessness (though this isn't always the case). 

This study refreshingly suggests that such traits may be linked to high trait curiosity - an intense drive to seek out and explore new information. The paper notes that there are two types of curiosity, commonly associated with ADHD:

1. Epistemic Curiosity – The deep desire for knowledge and understanding (e.g., researching a niche topic for hours).
2. Diversive Curiosity – The urge to constantly seek new stimuli (e.g., jumping between ideas, struggling to focus on one task).

Perhaps diversive curiosity is the one most commonly associated with ADHDers - doom-scrolling Instagram, being unable to concentrate on a TV show, or finding new and innovative ways to procrastinate... often all at once!

The study goes on to explain the evolutionary theory that ADHD might once have been an evolutionary advantage:

• In hunter-gatherer societies, being highly curious, alert, and impulsive was a survival advantage.
• Those who noticed changes in their environment and explored new resources had a higher chance of thriving.
• In today’s world - full of structured work, rigid classrooms, and digital distractions - this same curiosity can feel like a burden rather than a gift.
  
  

So, is ADHD really a disorder? Or just a trait that doesn’t fit modern systems?

Modern Challenges

• The education system rewards prolonged focus, not rapid idea generation.
• Workplaces value structured routines over spontaneous problem-solving.
• The internet bombards us with new information, making focus even harder for highly curious minds.
  
  

But rather than forcing neurodivergent individuals to fit into rigid structures, what if we designed learning and work environments that embrace curiosity?

Schools could use more hands-on, curiosity-driven learning rather than repetitive tasks, and workplaces could allow for more movement, flexible workstyles, and creative problem-solving approaches.

Instead of suppressing curiosity, would it not benefit both people with ADHD and society as a whole to find ways to channel it productively?

Listen to the Discussion on the Podcast

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Franck’s Five:

Before we go, here are five questions to enable us all to curiously explore this week's theme of curiosity:

1️⃣In what areas of your life does your natural curiosity feel like a strength? 

2️⃣ What would your daily routine look like if it were designed around your curiosity rather than your obligations?

3️⃣ Where in your past have you thrived in novelty-rich environments? And what does that reveal about your needs now?

4️⃣ If you viewed your distractibility as a signpost for unmet intellectual or sensory needs, what might it be trying to tell you?

5️⃣ How can you build environments - physical or digital - that harness your natural style of curiosity for the better?

Curiosity is a feature, not a bug. Perhaps the way society sees ADHD needs to change to match that.

Until next time, keep curious, keep exploring.

~ Franck