Because Ted Lasso Said So!
By Amy Berrafato, LMFT, CST
Confession: I recently rewatched the first two seasons of Ted Lasso in preparation for the 3rd season release last week. I wanted my heart and tears warmed up for another cheesy, enjoyable adventure. You know, like stretching.
Ted is full of hilarious, wise one liners that are so superficially relatable yet inspire deep personal reflection. One of my (many) faves:
"Guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years, I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day, I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman, and it was painted on the wall there. It said, 'Be curious, not judgmental.' I like that."
“Be curious. Not judgmental.”
Curiosity is such a beautiful quality, one that matters greatly in relationships of all kinds. Without it, we can get lazy and make assumptions, judgments, and criticisms that push people away.
Curiosity about yourself brings depth to your own emotional self-awareness and personal growth. Curiosity about the people in your life can offer a bridge to connection and perhaps open dialogue about differences. Asking a question (vs making a rebuttal) can also soften defenses. Why did I react that way? How did he draw that conclusion? I wonder…
We often get stuck in the daily grind of horizontal questions about the who, what, when, where of the day. Try asking vertical questions about the why and how of emotions and experiences to expand your range of connection, with yourself and others.
Stuck on what questions to ask? Here are some tools to spark creativity:
We don’t grow much without curiosity. How boring! Stay curious, my friends.