To judge people we don’t know, most would agree, is wrong. It’s mean and unnecessary. Unfortunately, it seems to be a characteristic that is developed as we grow older because society tries to force us to base people’s lives by their appearance. We certainly weren’t born with this innate characteristic. When we were children, we didn’t judge others. We were friends with whoever was around us. Anything or anyone that sparked our interest, we were there! But as we grow older, we believe in social groups and statuses so we begin to break away from that innocent child mentality.
However, we then obtained the unfortunate characteristic to judge others. This leads to the gateway to a close-minded life.
When we live a close-minded life, we don’t have the opportunity to fully live. One would live in a bubble in which most of the people one would encounter can automatically be classified into a compartment of one’s mind. Examples:
“He’s leaving a thrift shop, he must be poor.”
“She dropped out of college, she’s going nowhere in life.”
“He’s dressed like a gangster, he’s definitely a troublemaker.”
In some instances, you may be right about your assumptions. But, you will not know whether you’re right or wrong until you actually speak or get to know the person. Otherwise, you’re just judging them. For the above examples, any of the following could be a reason:
“He’s leaving a thrift shop because he is a good man who just donated a lot of clothing.”
“She dropped out of college because she has to take care of her ill mother. Family is first.”
“He may be dressed like a gangster, but that is just his style of choice. He is a community volunteer to help steer young children in the right direction in life.”
Any one of the above is easily a real life scenario. When you judge others, you haven’t given them a chance. Before you, yourself, are judged, wouldn’t you like to be given the opportunity to speak for yourself and show them who you really are? Well if you do, why won’t you allow others to do the same? Once we can pass the surface level of others, we realize how pleasant most of us actually are. One can easily recall the people who we may know now in which we judged them based on appearance, but later found out how great they actually are.
No need to actually say it, but this requires great discipline. It’ll take a great deal of effort to learn, or actually un-learn, to not judge others. It’s become a part of us thanks to the way society has raised us. Whether it’s a small or strong degree, let’s strive together to oppose what society has bestowed upon us. Together, we can learn to not judge one another, but to take that extra step to get to know others before we create an impression out of them.
You can make this happen. You can let others know how judging others leads to a close mind. The easiest way to conquer this is to proclaim it to those closest to you and have them believe in it as well. Together, you can keep each other accountable and make a difference in your own lives, as well as others, whether you’ve met them yet or not!
Good luck :)
