This episode of PM Talks is all about curiosity—how it drives us, how it gets suppressed, and how it intertwines with trust and judgment. Patrick Rhone and I dive deep into the forces that shape our thinking, from societal conditioning to personal experiences. As always, we take a thoughtful (and sometimes humorous) approach to unpacking these ideas.

We explore why curiosity is often discouraged, how judgment can be a shortcut that stifles growth, and what it means to stay open-minded in an increasingly polarized world. Plus, we talk about journaling, trust, and even how sports fandoms can lead to unexpected insights.

Key Discussion Points

The paradox of curiosity—how it's both encouraged and discouraged in society
Why judgment often wins over curiosity and how that impacts trust
How breaking down projects fosters curiosity and prevents blind trust in assumptions
The role of journaling in cultivating curiosity and letting go of judgment
How social conditioning teaches efficiency over exploration (and why we need to push back)
The concept of a Judgment Journal and a Book of Curiosities as tools for reflection
How our kids reflect and challenge our own curiosities in unexpected ways

We wrap up by discussing how staying curious can build stronger relationships and deeper understanding—whether it’s in politics, personal growth, or simply learning a new skill.

Links Worth Exploring

Patrick's book, "For You"
Patrick’s Website
Ted Lasso: The "darts" scene
PM Talks S2E2: Alignment
Sensible Defaults
The Hartford Whalers goal song (for those who love hockey nostalgia)
Mel Robbins’ “Let Them Theory” video (Note: She's not the originator of "Let Them" – Cassie Phillips is. Read more here.)
Watch "The Social Dilemma"
Take The Journaling Persona Assessment
Check out ALL of the PM Talks episodes

Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.

Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts. Not using either of those to get your podcasts? Just click on this link and then paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Ulmer

The AI-powered Podcast Player