If you judge people, you have no time to love them - Mother Theresa
Everyday, in every single situation, we judge others, judge objects, judge situations by our own meagre, self-centered understanding of the world. It's difficult not to, because I suppose it's some sort of survival instinct. The inability to judge someone's character, or a situation could be fatal if say, you could not sense the evil in someone's heart, or see the danger in things. I can't say that it's wrong to judge or that one shouldn't because it's such a natural thing. Instantaneously we form our own impressions of words, actions, looks... How difficult it is to remain truly impartial.
What's wrong, what's right is based on what we know. And we hardly, if ever, can see all sides of a situation; every facet that reveals a new perspective. Context changes everything. You see arrogance radiating coldness in public, but do you ever see the lonely tears raining in private?
Who are we to judge?
Even if you were to be so blessed with such insights, this gift might not necessarily make judgement easier, although it would approach a modicum of accuracy. I give you a simple example: Theft to feed a hungry family. How would you judge? There's guilt, no doubt, but guilt for a noble reason. Would you convict such a person? Justice or mercy?
Everyone has reasons for doing anything - your own take on this would be the belief that you would behave in a certain way in the same situation. It's not always accurate. And that's if you're even wise enough to put yourself in the person's shoes. How unlucky for those who don't even receive this because they are immediately compared to your notion of propriety. Think on it the next time you're too quick to come to a conclusion about something you don't know enough about. The fatal flaw in the previous statement is well... I don't know enough about what I'm talking about because seriously? I haven't thought this through completely.
And of course, when I say "you" I'm not indicating anyone in particular - it's just more personal than saying "one". I'm not writing an essay after all. I would never judge you. ;-)
