What is the difference between them?
Which one of them sounds more natural?

1) I am curious about what motivated you to pursue a career in teaching.

2) I am curious about what inspired you to pursue a career in teaching.

3) I am curious about what triggered you to pursue a career in teaching.

Question

What is the difference between them?
Which one of them sounds more natural?

1) I am curious about what motivated you to pursue a career in teaching.

2) I am curious about what inspired you to pursue a career in teaching.

3) I am curious about what triggered you to pursue a career in teaching.

Answer

All three sentences convey a similar meaning, but there are subtle differences in tone:

1.	“I am curious about what motivated you to pursue a career in teaching.” - This focuses on the reasons that pushed someone to choose a teaching career, possibly implying a thoughtful and deliberate decision-making process.
	2.	“I am curious about what inspired you to pursue a career in teaching.” - This emphasizes the sources of inspiration that led someone to become a teacher, suggesting a more emotionally driven decision.
	3.	“I am curious about what triggered you to pursue a career in teaching.” - This might sound slightly less natural than the other two options. “Triggered” can sometimes carry a negative connotation, suggesting a sudden or unexpected event, which might not be the best fit for discussing career choices.

Answer

Alireza is right that "trigger" can have negative connotations. Also, I don't think it can be used in the way it is here, i.e. I don't think you can "trigger" a person to do something. A correct way to use "trigger" here would be "I am curious about what triggered your interest in pursuing a career in teaching".