Be Curious

Monday Morning Mumbling

I tell myself (and the occasional reader of this blog) that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Does it work? Who knows. My days are often different though. Here’s the quote (in video form):

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

Now this is a scene that stuck with me for a few reasons. First, as I get older and wiser, I realize that when someone is about to say something really profound or persuasive, they rarely do it by yelling over the other guy (as I have been wont to do in the past). They take a deep breath and let the words do the work. So I enjoyed Ted’s delivery here, and I plan to emulate it.

Second, and probably like most of us, I can empathize with both sides of this quote. I’ve been the person judged, and at times it really bothered me too. Being yourself should be enough, and no one should be belittling anyone else. So as I watch this scene, it’s easy for me to feel a connection with Ted and say, “Yeah, bad guys like Rupert suck. They just lack curiosity.” That could be as far as I carry it.

But the thing about this one is, I’ve been judgmental before. I’ve assumed too much about people before. I’ve probably missed out on hundreds, if not thousands of great interactions with people in my lifetime just by assuming too much about them – by judging them instead of asking about them. So it’s not just a slam on the uncurious among us, or a unifying call to those who have been belittled. It’s also a chance for introspection, for growth, and to learn something new about those around us. I’ve often said lately that the more I live, the less certain of anything I become. How are all these people shouting around us now so positive of everything when there is so much out there still to understand?

So for me, instead of missing out on chances to learn from people, and instead of allowing doubt to make me uncertain or fearful, I will choose this week (and hopefully always) to be curious. There’s a lot more for me to learn still.

Have a great week everybody.