And if you could, would you?
I am going to give you a simple truth about judgment, both of yourself and of others.
Ready? Here it goes.
Judgments = opinions that often breed resentment… and righteousness. Your judgment is an indicator that you have a problem to clear up. The idiot who honks at you even though it’s his fault. The other jerk taking over the parking lot you were so patiently waiting for. The troubled father who abandons his son. The patient who opens fire in a public place.
• Let me take each of the above examples and clarify them a bit: The Horner and the Parking Space Occupant – Why do you care if they honk? Why does it matter if they’re wrong and you’re right? Whatever buttons (issues) you have around them being done wrong, or things being unfair, or having to be right, or not liking loud noises directed at you, they’re being pushed, and that’s why what matters to them.
• The Troubled Parent and the Sick Person – Yes, child neglect and acts of violence are also horrible in my book, and I feel deeply for everyone involved every time I hear of such acts. But for someone to do such a thing, he must be incredibly sick, in pain, and/or fearful, and also deserve compassion.
This exploration does not suggest that we leave anyone free from acts of cruelty or violence. We are talking about how you can free yourself from judging others. Your judgments only hurt you, they fester and can even cause you to implode and get sick. They don’t (usually) affect anyone else.
Every time you have a trial, it is an indicator that you have something to heal within you. The good thing about this is that when you understand this, you have the opportunity to live a much more peaceful existence.
Why worry about having a peaceful existence? Would you rather die a happy, fulfilled, and peaceful person, or die angry, bitter, and resentful? The more you judge, the easier it becomes to do it over and over again. At some point you will find yourself unhappy, angry and pessimistic most of the time. Is this how you want to live? Is this how you want to die? I do not think so.
What about those who judge just a little, or once in a while? Given how short life is, do you really want to waste a minute on something other than what brings you happiness and satisfaction?