Who wants to play a quick game? It is easy and I bet you have a lot of experience. It’s called “Judge Others and Never Judge Yourself.”
In simpler terms, criticize and condemn, but never look within. Identify others flaws, mistakes, and errors, and act as though you have none. It is probably one of the easiest games to play these days.
Guess what? If you think your judgment of others catapults you to some layer of perfection, you are sadly mistaken. Every day on this earth, we all make a mistake, or two, or three. Thank goodness time heals, people forget, and we have the opportunity to move on.
Personally, I cannot think of a day when I have not make a mistake or an error, or said or did something wrong. There are times I wish I could pull my words back, or wipe my actions away with an eraser. Usually I am not too hard on myself because I understand human nature. We were born to make mistakes, so it is best to figure out how to learn from them and not dwell on them.
As a martial artist, I have made my share of mistakes. From not remembering a form or pattern, to not practicing enough, to forgetting to bring my belt to class. There are times I feel lazy and do not want to practice. Clearly, I cannot condemn others for doing the same. Can I?
If my students make the same mistakes I have made, should I judge them, or should I encourage them? If their opinions are different from mine, should I argue with them, or respect them?
The lesson, of course, is to try to be a good role model. I must remind myself to not judge. I know that if we judged others a little less, our world would be a better place.
If we cleaned up our own attitudes and misunderstandings, we would not feel the need to judge others.
Let’s face it. We devour negativity because it comes easily. We like to pinpoint the flaws of others to minimize our own.
Human nature is like a puzzle. The most important piece of this puzzle is to make the change within ourselves that we wish to see in others. Respect paves the way. You do not need to agree with the opinions of others. You can respectfully discuss or debate. Once judgment is rendered, however, anything positive from the exchange is blown to the wind.
Keep on keeping on, even if others judge, criticize, or condemn. And, if you are the one rendering judgment, understand one thing. There is never any winner when it comes to the judgment game.
xoxo
Andrea
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Andrea,
This is truly what I am going through this lenten season. I have been praying for me not to judge others. I found that I was going into a depression because I was missing my daughter due to a personal matter. I was judging her for her lack of respect and communication. I soon realized that by judging her I was hurting myself. I prayed on it and I read some biblical readings and I came to the conclusion that I was wrong. I feel better about it. It is taking small steps but hopefully my daughter will come around. Thank you. You always seem to be on my wave length.
We all find our way eventually. It will work out.
Osu and thank you!