After 3 months of awkwardly attempting to remain friends with my ex—the guy I was on and off with for years—I couldn’t stand it anymore. I just had to find out what he was up to. I could handle it, I told myself. I already knew that he’d been seeing someone (thanks, Facebook). I couldn’t resist clicking on his profile and scrolling down his timeline. And even though I managed to make it through quite a few happy-sounding posts (including some about his new girlfriend) without crying, I had to admit, it stung. Even worse, though, was admitting that once again, I let my curiosity get the best of me, and if I had just listened to my conscience, I wouldn’t have to feel this way.

Today, with social media ruling our lives, it is all too easy to access all kinds of information we’re not entirely sure we want to know. If you’re like me, though, you NEED to know. If you’re like me, even if you know the truth will be hurtful and upsetting, the pain of wondering, of going over all the questions in your mind again and again, will be far more torturous.

It is simply part of human nature to be curious. This strong desire to know it all is just one the many complex thought processes that exist in our brains. It’s almost like a compulsion. And even though human curiosity has opened many doors and led to major advancements on a global scale, I’m pretty certain that everyone can think of a time in their personal lives when curiosity resulted in a painful experience.

When we were children, it was our curiosity that led us to attempt crazy tricks on our bikes and touch the hot stove and many other things that resulted in pain. And as we get older, it becomes even more complicated when we sometimes just can’t fight the urge to see a tweet or an Instagram photo or a Facebook video that we know will cause us emotional pain.

Here’s the thing about that kind of curiosity, though: Just like how much of what we have learned as a society about space exploration and technology and medicine began with curiosity, that hurt we feel after seeing that tweet, video or photo helps us learn too. Those experiences teach us about ourselves and about life. That’s why it is 100% okay to give in to that curiosity and feel that sting. It’s understandable to feel angry at yourself for doing so, or to call yourself weak—but the truth is, every time you’re faced with something tough and are able to accept it, bounce back and keep living your life, you get a little bit stronger.