But then one day I was driving my little boy to school and I saw this quote from Walt Whitman painted on the wall there that said “Be curious. Not Judgmental.” I like that.
- Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a brilliant show and as with everything Bill Lawrence touches, it comes with many great messages. Today I write about one of my favorites and something I realized resonated with everything I do.
Be Curious, Not Judgmental
The show is the next in a long line of media that misattributes this to Walt Whitman, as I found out while researching for this post. Snopes has looked into it and while paraphrased versions appear earlier the earliest exact wording examples was in a 1986 advice column by Marguerite and Marshall Shearer in response to a question from a parent who found oral contraceptives in their 17-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
No matter the source, the message remains the same. In all situations, don’t judge the events, learn more. Be curious about why things are the way they are and adapt as you learn more. Sometimes it’s just to be more educated and experience the world more. This is how my love for travel and food is fueled. I love to learn why things are the way they are in other cultures. I don’t want to judge them, I want to learn about the history and situations that lead the to evolve this way today. Sometimes, it’s to help build bridges and understanding between people as with Ted’s example. His bully’s only judged him, and weren’t curious about him. I want to strive to always be curious with everyone I meet and it will help me grow and who knows what new experiences I’ll receive along the way.
As you go through this wonderful world, be curious traveler.