The author reflects on how his relationship with Jeremy Safran during graduate school continues to inform his thinking around pedagogy and clinical training. Safran's emphasis on independent inquiry is highlighted, especially regarding the importance of seeking out perspectives and evidence that come into conflict with one's primary orientation. The author argues that Safran's pedagogical stance could be described as inhabiting a state of “pre-judgment,” which is essential in both clinical and pedagogical contexts in the psychoanalytic field.