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To acknowledge that we have judged and why, is the first step to a path of compassion. Though it is human to evaluate people we encounter based on
first impressions, the conclusions we come to are seldom unaffected by our
own fears and our own preconceptions. Additionally, our judgments are
frequently incomplete. For example, wealth can seem like proof that an
individual is spoiled, and poverty can be seen as a signifier of laziness --
neither of which may be true. At the heart of the tendency to categorize and
criticize, we often find insecurity. Overcoming our need to set ourselves
apart from what we fear is a matter of understanding the root of judgment and
then reaffirming our commitment to tolerance. When we catch ourselves thinking or behaving judgmentally, we should ask
ourselves where these judgments come from. Traits we hope we do not possess
can instigate our criticism when we see them in others because passing
judgment distances us from those traits. Once we regain our center, we can
reinforce our open-mindedness by putting our feelings into words. To
acknowledge to ourselves that we have judged, and that we have identified the
root of our judgments, is the first step to a path of compassion. Recognizing
that we limit our awareness by assessing others critically can make moving
past our initial impressions much easier. Judgments seldom leave room for
alternate possibilities.
Mother Teresa said, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love
them." If we are quick to pass judgment on others, we forget that they,
like us, are human beings. As we seldom know what roads people have traveled
before a shared encounter or why they have come into our lives, we should
always give those we meet the gift of an open heart. Doing so allows us to
replace fear-based criticism with appreciation because we can then focus
wholeheartedly on the spark of good that burns in all human souls. |
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