It has happened to the best of us. We yell at the friend who left us hanging, or we get angry at the person in front of us at the grocery store. When we suffer an injustice, all of these flaming emotions rise up within us and cause us to make quick conclusions about the people around us when we don't have the full story. Many of us aren't even aware that we are judging people, but I'm here to shed some light on what happens when we do.

1. We allow emotions to take control.

It is almost like muscle reflex — we get popped on the knee and kick in response. We've all done it. Sitting in traffic, someone cuts you off, and they are obviously an ignorant moron that has no driving skills or sense of direction or common sense. Suddenly, our logical brain isn't making decisions. Judging hands over the reigns to anger and says, "Take it for a joyride."

2. We belittle others.

Most of us don't even realize when we are making other people feel small, and it's something we need to be more aware of. In a split second, we call someone stupid because they didn't get the joke. It is funny, and everyone gets a laugh at someone else's expense. The trade off is that another human being (who probably isn't stupid in the least) now feels terrible and loses self-worth. Is that worth it?

3. We make ourselves look ignorant.

This one, to me, seems to be the most obvious. Because (ugh), you can't just ask people why they are white.

4. We damage someone else's reputation.

In the classic "he-said-she-said" style, you see that girl get out of that guy's car, and you decide what has happened. She shows up to school on Monday, and suddenly she's wearing a fat, red A. This is how rumors start and spread and ruin a person's life. If we keep making judgments when we don't know all of the facts, we will never fail to do serious damage to other people.

5. We lose our credibility.

This one is a little harder to explain and hard for some people to believe. Somehow we've got it into our heads that we can judge and gossip and others won't get tired of listening to us. At some point, even our closest friends will stop believing your words, even if there is truth to them because it's just exhausting to hear someone rag on people all the time.

I don't want to make anyone feel bad about themselves here, so don't misunderstand me. I am just tired of living in a world where people (myself included) make so many quick judgments that they seriously damage others. Whether you're sitting in traffic or hurt by a close friend, it does no one any good to let our emotions drive the way we speak. Think about your words before you speak them because you never know who you are hurting.