Be Curious
The school year is just starting. Thankfully, we can all keep learning, all the time. The best way to start is with curiosity.
Ted Lasso teaches us to be curious.
If you're a Ted Lasso fan, you know Ted won a darts game based on his opponent's lack of curiosity. Ted reminds us of the importance of being curious to knowing and understanding the people and world around us.
You start by asking good questions. Let’s say you’re writing to a friend about your vacation. You could end your vacation report with something like: “What is your best vacation memory?”
Step two: pay attention to the answers. We all probably know that true listening is at an increasing deficit. In this digital age, human attention spans have shrunk to less than a goldfish’s. Yikes.
My friend Brittany and I have been sending postcards back and forth pretty steadily since spring 2020. I think I’ve learned more about her, and shared more about myself, than when we lived in the same town. Our conversation is slower, it meanders, and it ducks into interesting coves on its journey. And it’s much richer for that.
Curious to know more about the people you love? Ask them! Getting a response by mail takes longer, but it also gives them the opportunity to reflect on your question. You may get a story about their favorite childhood toy, first kiss, or even what’s really important, scary, or exciting to them right now. The gift of time allows your correspondent to reflect and go at their own pace - which doesn’t always happen when you squeeze an hourlong lunch in your busy schedules.
Snail mail lets conversations breathe and curiosity bloom.
Curious to know more about a place, or another culture? Sign up for a pen pal or postcrossing. A penpal gives you that back-and-forth experience. Postcrossing won’t be an exchange in the same way, but you’ll get postcards from all kinds of people in all kinds of places.
Where will your curiosity take you?