As human beings in the twenty-first century, we walk around judging others constantly. Most of us don’t even realise we are doing it – it’s a mindset that we learn as children and grow up with throughout our lives. Although there is some natural element to judging others and seeing them as competition, in today’s society, judging others serves nobody at all.
In today’s post, you will learn three ways to stop being judgmental, and find out exactly why judgement is so poisonous in today’s society.
How judgement is the enemy of progress…
Every person on Earth is unique, yet we quickly form categories that society reinforces. This is a simple yet powerful truth: the more you fall into your society-formed categorization, the more alienated you feel by others outside of your “category”. These categories can be class-based, race-based, gender-based and even industry-based. We allow other people’s judgement to define us, and therefore we give the same energy back into the world.
However, in recent years, a shift has begun to happen. The younger generations are moving away from harmful judgements and are slowly beginning to reform the way they see others. Practicing this radical non-judgement is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly aids progress. The more we see others for who they are, the less likely we are to feel judged or alienated by the world, too.
3 ways you can stop judging others
Now, let’s get to the practical side of things. How do you stop being judgemental when it’s ingrained so deeply?
Let’s take a look at three practical steps you can take towards non-judgement.
- Walk a mile in their shoes.
If you find yourself casting judgement over a person before you truly know them, you need to practice empathy. It’s easy to be critical of other people’s decisions or ways of life, but have you ever walked a mile in their shoes? Probably not.
Of course, it’s not always possible to actually have the same experiences as somebody else. But what you can do is be open, listen, and learn about how they see the world in comparison to you. You may not always agree, but simply by being open to the possibility of changing your mind, you are practicing radical empathy that can be life changing.
- Befriend people from all walks of life.
If you close your inner circle off to anyone who isn’t exactly like you, your mind will likely stay closed, too. In order to be less judgemental in general, it is a good idea to befriend people from different backgrounds, religions, sexualities, and political viewpoints.
- Realize that your life experience isn’t universal.
Your experience of the world is just a tiny sliver of what’s out there. Your opinions, therefore, are formed based on your minute experience of the world.
Let’s use an easy example: drugs! You might have grown up thinking that all drugs were evil and bad, until you met somebody with chronic pain who used marijuana to soothe their suffering. Before you know, you’ll be buying them a joint case and even trying it out if you’re brave enough! This is just one example of so many things you could change your mind about in the future.
Overall, it’s time to put away our shallow judgements of others and be more open!
Contributed Post.
If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.
And thanks for reading! 🙂
lifespaceblog 