Originally posted on Facebook HERE
We sit in judgement a lot as humans. We judge each other by what we look like, the color of our skin, how we vote, what car we drive, how much money we make, what kind of music we listen to, what religion we follow, and numerous other things. We do this constantly, every day - often without even realizing it. And we instinctively treat people based on those judgements as well, whether negative or positive. When it comes to social media, many people seem to be perfect within their own minds, too. Because judgement runs rampant. And the rush to judgement can be ridiculous, especially when everyone starts to pile on as well. What if we could meet in a space without judgement? Would that be better or worse for us as a species? I would say better - way better, actually. One of the first things any decent salesperson will learn is “never pre-judge”. Wouldn’t it be interesting to just meet some new people while blindfolded, and see where the conversations led? Now - even without there being any sight - we’d probably still judge based on the sound of someone’s voice - we might guess their ethnicity and/or see them as a certain color. During the conversation we might pick up on common or opposing belief patterns that we’d start to judge as well… so, what if we were somehow able to meet telepathically? Just meet each other with no preconceived notions, just conversing via thought? That would be an interesting study to try. Ten people meeting each other only through thought alone - no preconceived notions based on sight or sound…. Then at the end, show them photos of the nine people they just met and see if they could put the thoughts to the faces. We all have our own unique way of viewing the world. We all judge other people based on our deeply held beliefs and convictions. But in the end, aren’t we all really fighting the same battle? We’re (hopefully) just trying to be the best people we can be. We will never all agree on what that process will look like. I really don’t need anyone else to see things the way I do. And I’m always interested in why other people see things the way they do, especially when they hold views that are diametrically opposite to the views I hold. This is where many of our issues come in as we try to relate to each other in our day to day lives. Anger creeps in and starts to make us want to prove ourselves right. Why? Why do we feel the need to have other people the way we feel? I long ago gave up the idea of arguing about personal beliefs. I also tend to surround myself with people who have traits I deem extremely valuable. Are you loving? Where is your heart at? Do you have compassion for others? Do you have passion and drive? Are you moving in the direction of a worthwhile dream? Can we disagree on something and do it in a way that neither of us gets pissed off about it?… are you generally happy and fun to be around? As I look at the list of people I view as my best friends, I see all those traits in every single one of you. Hateful, angry, judgemental people just aren’t a big part of my day to day life. Other than on social media. And even there, I have less and less patience in that regard. I want to lead an amazing, fun life with people I love to be around who all have their own beliefs that in no way have to be similar to my own. I want to meet people without any judgement as much as possible. We will naturally gravitate from there - closer or further away, as we create our lives by settling in with people who we feel a connection with. It’s Easter today, so I will leave you with a quote from the Bible: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged”. I put that quote into an AI mode search on Google and I really like the response it gave me, here are the last two sentences: “Rather than focusing on the faults of others, people should prioritize personal spiritual growth and relationship with God. In essence, this verse calls for humility, mercy, and self-reflection when encountering others, urging people to avoid harsh, hypocritical, and condemning judgments” … I wish you love and joy today. And every day.
