Mihaly Csikszentmhialyi writes in his book Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention that:
Each of us is born with two contradictory sets of instructions: a conservative tendency, made up of instincts for self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and saving energy, and an expansive tendency made up of instincts for exploring, for enjoying novelty and risk --- the curiosity that leads to creativity belongs to this set. We need both programs. But whereas the first tendency requires little encouragement or support from outside to motivate behavior, the second can wilt if it is not cultivated. If too few opportunities for curiosity are available, if too many obstacles are placed in the way of risk and exploration, the motivation to engage in creative behavior is easily extinguished. (1996, p. 11)
The relevant economic applications of this insight, I would argue, have been explored in works such as Reuven Brenner (e.g., Labyrinths of Prosperity and Betting on Ideas), Joel Moykr (e.g., The Lever of Riches), and Nathan Rosenberg (e.g., How the West Grew Rich). The reason why some nations are rich and others are poor, is to a considerable extent a consequence of that fact that the rich societies have found a way to create an environment which encourages, and ultimately captures the returns, the innovative side of humanity. In short, the entrepreneurial element in economic life.