The Juice & the Squeeze
4 Pieces of Dating Advice From Ted Lasso : What The Comedy Can Teach Us About Relationships.
“I think if you care about someone and you got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothin you can’t get through together.”
Ted Lasso is one of the most talked about shows to come out in the past year, and for good reason. It’s entertaining, optimistic without being corny (except when it’s trying to be), and endlessly funny. But just being funny doesn’t get a show nominated for 20 Emmys; to do that, it has to have heart.
And boy, does Ted Lasso have heart. Oodles of hearts, actually. Whether it’s dealing with the fallout of Rebecca’s divorce or watching Ted navigate the stormy seas of his separation, the show never stops tugging at the heartstrings.
It also never skips a moment to offer some valuable life lessons like, for example, “You tore your butt. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Well, maybe not so much that one.
There are indeed lots of great quotes in Ted Lasso, and you could apply any of them to a million situations in your life, but these are four that stick out as excellent pieces of dating advice.
Roy Kent: “He’s fine. That’s it. Nothing wrong with that. Most people are fine. It’s not about him. It’s about why the f*** you think he deserves you. You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been struck by f***ing lightning. Don’t you dare settle for fine.”
Roy Kent’s fiery, angry, profanity-laced tirade to Rebecca when he meets her “fine” date is incredibly relatable and true.
Let’s face it, if not us, we all know someone who has clearly settled in a relationship, and we don’t mean with respect to their relative physical attractiveness. More of an all-encompassing settling, like when you crave a good steak but instead stop at a McDonald’s because it’s convenient. It’s the kind of settling that makes you feel bad inside and fills you with regret in hindsight.
Keep Roy in mind. Don’t you dare settle for fine.
Ted Lasso: “Be curious, not judgmental.”
This Walt Whitman quote is everywhere, but it’s Ted’s addition that makes it really hit home: “All those fellas who used to belittle me… none of them were curious. They thought they had everything all figured out, so they judged everything. And they judged everyone.”
It’s a nice reminder that none of us have it all figured out. When you’re meeting new people, it’s good to be curious and ask questions but also not to judge them when they open up. After all, there’s probably stuff in your past you don’t love, either.
People change when they’re curious. But judgmental people never learn anything new, and it holds them back.
Be like Ted. Approach new situations—and new people—with curiosity, not judgment.
Jamie Tartt: “Coach, I’m me. Why would I want to be anything else?”
Ted Lasso: “I’m not sure you know how psychologically healthy that actually is.”
We know, Jamie Tartt is a prick, but, you know, he’s got a sad backstory, so it’s understandable? You can’t help but feel for Jamie’s character, despite his egomania. And even though this line is supposed to make us dislike Jamie, Ted’s comment after rings true. I mean, all he asked Jamie was, “Would you rather be a panda or a lion?” and Jamie’s inability to answer a hypothetical without being a total ass probably isn’t healthy, but hey, that’s showbiz, baby.
We don’t get the choice to be a panda, a lion, or anyone else, no matter how much we wish we could be. Really, we could all afford a little more self-confidence à la Tartt. Imagine approaching a situation with that mindset! I’m me. Why would I want to be anything else?
Take it from Jamie. Embrace yourself for who you are, and let pandas be pandas and lions be lions.
Sam Obisanya: “We gave it everything we had. And for me, that is okay because what’s worse is not to try at all. To try is scary, you know, because you can end up losing a lot. But you have to put your heart out there. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
The soft-spoken and wise-beyond-his-years Sam provides this poignant statement at a press conference after his team’s heart-breaking loss to Man City. Also, these words seem to cause Rebecca to finally see Sam in a different light and become open to romance with him.
Sam’s words also ring true for all of us who are too scared to date due to a fear of getting hurt. Yes, it’s brutal if we put ourselves out there and there isn’t a happy ending. But if we don’t open our hearts, we may never experience the mind-blowing possibilities. And without that, what’s the point? So go ahead and take a chance: put your heart out there.
And if you need more heart-filled inspirational moments, go stream season two of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.