wheres the line between curious and nosey?

Answer 1

Check in with a dictionary. curious and nosy are each others synonym.

This site describes curious as a avid desire to know or learn: http://www.answers.com/topic/curious

This site describes nosy as given to prying into others affairs: http://www.answers.com/topic/nosy

By those descriptions I would say curious would be positive/neutral because it is a desire to know without intended harm. Nosy on the other hand, I feel it is neutral/negative where some mischievousness is intermingled with the desire to know anothers business.

Just my humble opinion.

Answer 2

The eagerness to investigate and learn or learn more including others' concerns is curiosity. Being curious is just trying to know the facts and accurate information related to on the becoming of such a person or a certain relevant circumstances. Curiosity as I can say has some preservations which embeds respect and good intentions. The line is when the curiosity becomes offensive, a curious turns inquisitive. That crosses the line that could threat or intrude others privacy thus becomes offensive. The nosey intends to illicit further information which will more interestingly include private and personal sequels. The intention of knowing such things is more of personal interest to try to figure out something that could make the nosey superior over the other and probably would use what he know for personal advantage. Most of the time, the nosey would expose what he knew in a form of rumors,gossips,ridicule or sometimes to blackmail the other party. "When you are eager to know about your neighbors- you are curious" but "when you are curious about the neighbor's doings-you are nosey". Another simple example: "When you want to know where is the house of your friend - you are curious," but "when you further want to know what are inside and the house - you are nosey."
(Exception: when you are prettty close and have mutual trust with someone, getting further more than being curious could have an extended line to become nosey; that is when you insist to figure out private and personal matters the person chose not to divulge." )

Answer 3

The line between curious and nosey is that curious means you want to know what's going on, maybe in people in groups, but nosey is sticking your nose into other people's business. A good way to tell is if people say "Mind your own business", you are probably being nosey.

Answer 4

I think it can only be defined by the relationship between the people involved. My family can ask me a million questions about my life, my actions, my intentions and because they are my family and part of my inner circle, it is only curiousity about my life and caring that sparks the questions. However, if someone outside my circle asked the same questions, it would be nosey since there is no reason for them to have the information. So, if there is no need to know, then it is nosey.

Answer 5

The line between curious and nosey, I feel is when it is information you could possibly have a personal gain, whether good or bad by knowing information sparking interest. This could be some personal info, that someone could use against you or for themselves.

Answer 6

If you are being sensitive (or defensive), a nosey person has no business asking the question. A curious person may be someone with whom you are willing to share the information. Nosey people have the most information and they tend to gossip.

Answer 7

Nosey.... Ahhhh..... The fine art of asking questions that are NONE of your business, and doing so under the pretense of "being curious". Curiousity is for children and cats. Adults can show "polite interest", but should never cross over the "nosey" line !!!

Answer 8

Depends on the situation. Nosey is when you get into people's business whether or not they want you to. As a result, I don't offer people unsolicited advice for the most part. People see it as helping, but its annoying.

One time I needed to use my neighbor's phone to call my parents and a friend. Well, that neighbor called them back and talked to them about why I called! That's definitely nosey and I will avoid that neighbor in the future. As a result, I've learned from experiences with friends, that if I don't want them to know something, I won't tell them. They usually blab it to someone else.

Answer 9

Good Question ! I'm curious to see all the other possible answers to this one. It gets us thinking.

I'll give it a try too.

Curious is wanting to find out something that sparked your interest -- some fact or opinion you don't know yet and would like to know. Curious is with the intent simply to know, or understand.

Nosey is compulsion to find out as much as you can about something or someone which may cause someone discomfort or feel their privacy or security is getting violated.
Usually "nosey" is with intent to get "the upper hand", to test, dominate, control, criticize, condemn someone.

The line between "curious" and "nosey" could be defined by the motivation or intent for knowing, and amount of compulsion to know, and perhaps also the extent of information sought.

Answer 10

Being curious is simply a feeling to know more but in that case, u can either remain curious or do something. The action part comes into being nosey where u actually try to interfere in things to know something.

Answer 11

Curious is just a nice way of saying nosey.
And I keep my nose far away from lines, it's just asking for trouble...