So I guess I should really have read this first thing this morning..... today's act of kindness is:
"Make today judgement free in words, and, most important, in thought. Let's work on altering the way we think about others. The way we judge others is often the way the world will judge us."
The quote for day 2 is "By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
So, why do we judge others? We are so quick to criticize others but we are all human, and have our own flaws.
Maybe judging others helps us to feel better about our own lives. We know what is happening in our lives, and possibly expect people to make allowances for us, but we have no idea what is going on in a strangers life, so who are we to judge the way they act?
The angry person you meet in the store, who comes across as rude and maybe arrogant, may have just been given some bad news. The cashier or waitress who served you today may not make eye contact or smile, she may even struggle to make conversation.. We call her miserable, yet we have no idea of the battle she may be facing.
Whilst working with people with cognitive deficiencies, one of the most important things I have learned is that most if not all 'behaviors' have a trigger. A demented person may act a certain way without understanding, or without realizing, and may not be able to control themselves. Those people who are unaware of the persons' diagnosis may judge at first, but then may make allowances, or at least come to understand the why. But for a normal, everyday person, we have a certain expectation of behavior, and are often too quick to judge before thinking about what might have been the cause.
Of course there is the small chance that they are just a miserable SOB... 😉
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