Most of my life, if a man did something totally other than the way I thought it should be done, I would try to correct him. Now I say, “Oh, isn’t that interesting?”

Burstyn contrasts an earlier habit of reflexive correction—assuming her own method was the standard—with a later, more spacious stance of curiosity. The shift from “I would try to correct him” to “Oh, isn’t that interesting?” signals a move from control to observation, and from judgment to openness. It suggests maturity: recognizing that competence and integrity can take many forms, and that other people’s approaches need not be threats or errors. The quote also implies a practical ethic for relationships and collaboration: curiosity reduces conflict, invites learning, and allows difference to exist without immediately being managed or fixed.