There’s a scene in the show Ted Lasso where Ted confronts a character we’ve been led to hate and serves this bully a delightfully satisfying comeuppance. In the process, Ted quotes Walt Whitman:

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

I wouldn’t normally suggest life lessons from a TV show quoting a poet I’m not sure I’ve ever read, but it is good advice.

The worst aspects of myself often surface when I lean away from curiosity toward judgment. When I see the best in others, it is often through their curiosity.

My friend Peter Rukavina is the most curious person I’ve ever known. His curiosity can lead him to take a 15-month old child on a trip to Thailand, or follow an interest in letterpress to become the owner of a 1,500 pound Golding Jobber letterpress. His curiosity about open location data led him on a journey of over 10,000 location data points, but also to meet the the people behind the systems he was using.

Despite being a self-described introvert, Peter is a great conversationalist because he is so obviously genuinely curious about how your life differs from his own.

Be like Peter. Be curious.