DJCF & SWCF recently hosted a group of professional advisors for a presentation on nonprofit governance. Jonathan Blum, a partner at Holland & Knight and an expert in nonprofit law, emphasized the fiduciary obligations of any nonprofit board member: the duty of care, the duty of loyalty, and the duty of obedience. While these may be the extent of one’s legal obligations, Jonathan added a fourth duty to the list: the duty of curiosity.
This mandate to be curious is not only best practice for those serving on nonprofit boards: it is a pathway to a more fulfilled life. Being curious helps challenge our own (sometimes wrong!) preconceptions. Asking questions – and thereby learning new information and gaining understanding of others’ perspectives – helps us grow both intellectually and emotionally. In a world seemingly paralyzed by division and partisanship, it can be helpful to wonder about the experience of the “other.”
Be curious not judgmental
You may remember the scene from Ted Lasso in which Ted bests his nemesis, Rupert Mannion, in a darts match. Exemplifying the perils of being self-absorbed and uncurious, Rupert had failed to consider the possibility that Ted might be an outstanding darts player. In pointing out Rupert’s failure to think expansively, Ted extols the virtue of being curious, not judgmental. (He misattributes the phrase to Walt Whitman, but the incorrect citation has no bearing on the wisdom of the expression.) We would all benefit from doing more wondering and less assuming.
Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, talks about the importance of “getting proximate.” It’s easy to be judgmental from afar, but it’s hard to be curious. By getting close to and engaging with people outside our “normal” circles who are willing to have civil, respectful dialogue – as difficult and uncomfortable as those conversations can sometimes be – we can better understand how someone else walks through the world. Curiosity breeds compassion.
