An honest handful of us humans grew up at a young age, perceiving life with one point of view. This point of view consisted of our sheltered minds corresponding to the wisdom of parents. As it goes, we believed what we were told and based our worldview through that one perspective.
For me, I always thought the world worked a certain way. I believed people acted in accordance with the order of the world. I categorized the entire existence of humanity into one group: apart from me. My silly thoughts caused me to judge others for not understanding who I was. Even so, I had no sense of identity. I found that what I did and said shaped my personality and being.
You can imagine the amount of negativity and confusion that clouded my mind. If someone did not walk or talk relative to my standards–whatever such nonsense–and religious beliefs, I quietly judged them. Spin the clock forward a few more years and the situation only becomes worse. In a public setting, I put myself on a righteous pedestal and judged every person through the glare of my eye. From head to toe they would receive my petty judgment.
When all is said and done, there must be a way for positivity to reign in our clouded minds! The answer might seem more complicated than I’m going to make it out to be; however, quite simply, the way to avoid quickly judging others while interacting with them is to think about what you don’t know about them. We judge based on what we see and assume rather than judging from what we’re told and can identify from one's life.
Our interactions can become incredibly surprising if we set our expectations towards what we don’t know about someone. Pretend there is at least one positive thing about this person whom you thought deserved your unrighteous judgment. Give it a try; talk to them. See who they are with open ears and fixate your eyes to let them know you’re actually listening. That being said, one’s appearance should never dictate how they should be treated.
It’s ultimately a disrespectful disposition of a person to vocally or quietly judge a stranger. We just don’t have the authority and place to judge anyone at first sight. Besides, life is more intriguing when we take on a new perspective, one that strives for knowledge about people and the world.
I admit, it’s a learning experience for everyone, including myself. Anytime I become impulsive and judge someone I have to remind myself that there’s more to him or her than meets the eye. As you read these very words that I have written, I can only assume that you’ve tried to piece together what type of person I am. It’s up to you to judge me, but I assure you that I offer more than just this page full of preconceived words.
