Openness to Experience
Openness to Experience reflects the degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and preference for novelty and variety. It encompasses imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings, preference for variety, and intellectual curiosity.
How open to experience are you?
30 questions · about 7 minutes
High vs low openness
High openness
Individuals high in Openness are imaginative, creative, and intellectually curious. They seek out novelty, appreciate art and beauty, and enjoy exploring abstract ideas. They tend to be unconventional and open to challenging traditional values.
Strengths
- Creative problem-solving
- Adaptability to change
- Rich inner life
- Aesthetic appreciation
- Intellectual depth
- Innovation capacity
Challenges
- May struggle with routine
- Can be impractical
- May challenge authority unnecessarily
- Prone to distraction
- May have too many interests
Careers that often fit
Artist, Writer, Scientist, Philosopher, Entrepreneur, Designer, Researcher, Musician, Architect, Professor.
In relationships
High-Openness individuals seek partners who can engage in deep conversations and share their appreciation for novelty. They may become bored with routine and need intellectual stimulation in relationships.
Often-cited examples
Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, David Bowie, Maya Angelou.
Low openness
Individuals low in Openness prefer familiar routines, conventional approaches, and practical solutions. They tend to be more traditional in their values and less interested in abstract or theoretical discussions.
Strengths
- Reliability and consistency
- Practical problem-solving
- Respect for tradition
- Groundedness
- Focus on what works
- Stability
Challenges
- May resist change
- Can miss creative solutions
- May seem close-minded
- Less adaptable
- May struggle with ambiguity
Careers that often fit
Accountant, Administrator, Bank Teller, Project Manager, Police Officer, Military, Operations Manager.
In relationships
Low-Openness individuals value stability, tradition, and predictability in relationships. They may prefer partners who share their conventional values and practical approach to life.
Often-cited examples
Warren Buffett, Angela Merkel, Queen Elizabeth II.
The 6 facets of openness
Each Big Five trait splits into six narrower facets. Two people with the same openness score can differ on any of them.
Tendency toward a vivid imagination and rich inner life.
High: daydreams frequently, enjoys fantasy worlds, creative visualization. Low: prefers concrete thinking, rarely daydreams, practical-minded.
Appreciation for art, beauty, and sensory experiences.
High: moved by art and music, seeks beauty, sensitive to aesthetics. Low: indifferent to art, practical over beautiful, not moved by aesthetics.
Receptivity to and awareness of own emotions.
High: emotionally aware, values emotional experiences, introspective. Low: emotionally reserved, less introspective, pragmatic about feelings.
Willingness to try new activities and experiences.
High: tries new things, variety-seeking, adventurous. Low: prefers routine, sticks to familiar, creature of habit.
Intellectual curiosity and interest in abstract concepts.
High: enjoys philosophical discussions, curious about ideas, thinks abstractly. Low: prefers practical topics, concrete thinking, less intellectual curiosity.
Readiness to re-examine social, political, and religious values.
High: questions traditions, open to different viewpoints, challenges norms. Low: traditional values, respects authority, conventional beliefs.
What the research says
Openness is the Big Five trait most consistently correlated with measures of intelligence, particularly crystallized intelligence and divergent thinking. Research by DeYoung et al. (2012) identified two distinct aspects: Intellect (intellectual engagement) and Openness proper (aesthetic and imaginative engagement). Neuroimaging studies associate high Openness with greater activity in the default mode network, linked to imagination and self-reflection.
- Openness predicts creative achievement across domains
- Associated with political liberalism
- Correlates with IQ (r ≈ 0.30)
- Decreases slightly with age
- Has the strongest genetic component of all Big Five traits
- Linked to dopaminergic function
How to develop openness
- Expose yourself to new experiences regularly
- Travel to unfamiliar places
- Read outside your comfort zone
- Engage with art and music
- Practice curiosity by asking "why" more often
- Take a class in something completely new
- Seek out people with different perspectives
Common misconceptions
- High Openness does not mean gullible or naive
- Low Openness does not mean unintelligent
- Openness is not the same as extraversion
- Being traditional is not inherently negative
Frequently asked questions
What is Openness to Experience?
What are the facets of Openness to Experience?
What careers suit high Openness to Experience?
How open to experience are you?
The personality test scores you on all five traits, including openness, so you can see where you sit on each.
30 questions · about 7 minutes