Be curious, not judgemental – Walt Whitman
In a scene from the show Ted Lasso, the protagonist Ted and the antagonist Rupert wager on a game of darts. Taking his final turn at the board, Ted – who is losing by a mile – shares the moving story that has become a frequently quoted lesson in leadership.
“Guys have underestimated me my entire life and for years I never understood why – it used to really bother me. Then one day I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw a quote by Walt Whitman, it was painted on the wall there and it said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’ I like that.”
“So, I get back in my car and I’m driving to work and all of a sudden it hits me – all them fellas that used to belittle me, not a single one of them was curious. You know, they thought they had everything all figured out, so they judged everything, and they judged everyone. And I realized that their underestimating me – who I was had nothing to do with it. Because if they were curious, they would’ve asked questions. Questions like, ‘Have you played a lot of darts, Ted?’”
“To which I would have answered, ‘Yes sir. Every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father from age ten until I was 16 when he passed away.’ Barbecue sauce.” (Ted expertly throws all of his darts to win the game.)
Thank you, Team Lasso, for the emphasizing the power of kindness, teamwork and connection.
