Embracing Judgment

Judgment is a topic that recently came up in a conversation with a friend. They expressed their hope that they don't come across as judgmental but rather as opinionated. My response was that I believe we're all inherently judgmental to some extent because we've grown up in a society that fosters it. The issue is that we tend to view being judgmental as a negative trait, and this label leads us to distance ourselves from it, often attributing it to others. The truth is, pointing out any form of negativity can be seen as a form of judgment. So, if I were to say that I feel judged by you, is that an incorrect perception? Aren't my feelings valid?

Our society is steeped in judgments, and to explore this further, I turned to Google's definition of "judgmental," which describes it as a negative term for someone who hastily passes judgment without reason. I personally find this definition somewhat flawed. Most of our judgments do indeed have reasons, and they're a product of the societal conditioning we've received. Whether it's the influence of education, news, advertisements, family, friends, community, or biased algorithms, we've been shaped to make judgments that, in our minds, have valid reasons. The catch is, these reasons are often based on shaky ground. Until someone can fully step into my shoes, experiencing every aspect of my life and making superior decisions, and  I, too, must undergo this introspective process, only then can they truly understand and critique my judgments. Since that's not feasible….

Instead of demonising judgment, perhaps we can learn to embrace it and not take ourselves too seriously. Real change begins within us, rather than focusing on other people, we should start with ourselves. When we can love and laugh at our own judgmental tendencies, we'll be better equipped to extend that understanding to others, fostering a more accepting environment.

Love Bose. xxxxx