Right now, as I'm writing this piece inside a coffee shop, just across my table I couldn't help but notice two ladies taking pictures of their food with their phones.
Now the judgmental side of me is already thinking, "These people must love to show off about their life. Even their food they have to post about it online".
But at the same time, the non-judgmental side of me is also thinking, "Hey stop that! You don't know these people! They're probably food bloggers for all you know and they're gonna make a blog about it later!"
Have you ever experience yourself being too judgmental of people? I'm sure you have. We cant help it. we're living in a world where everyone around us is judging someone or something every day.
However being judgmental can have a serious effect on your life if not corrected. It can lead you to live your life in a negative way and can hurt the relationships you have with people.
Here are some tips that can rid you of your judgmental ways and allow you to live a healthier life:
Be aware of your thoughts
Whenever you find yourself being judgmental, you need to be on the lookout for when this happens and stop this thought immediately.
Train your mind to consciously be mindful of your thought process and tell yourself that jumping to conclusions is never a good habit. It's not easy to do this, especially when you've been this way for quite a long time already, but as with all bad habits, it is possible to change.
Eliminate your insecurity
When you constantly judge and criticize people for their actions and always feel the need to put people down, try to ask yourself this question:
"Am I doing this in order for me to feel I'm the better man and to make me look good?"
If so, then you have a problem with insecurity. Just know that it may make you feel good on the short term, but unless you deal with your insecurities, it will never go away no matter how much you judge other people. And not to mention the fact that it's rather selfish on your part to put others down just to feel good about yourself.
Stop gossiping
People like to gather around with their friends and look for things to talk about. Whether it's talking about celebrity news or the latest TV shows. However, one should know that it has gone overboard when your friends start to mock other people for their own enjoyment.
From labeling someone a weirdo for wearing a strange outfit to judging someone as a bad person for sporting one too many tattoos on his body.
Try to change the topic if you can and never engage in conversations like these. Or better yet, tell your friends it is never good to be judging others especially to people you don't know.
By the way, here is a post by @jaynie regarding her thoughts about people judging others and her opinions on it.
Never fault the person but fault his action
If someone has made a bad decision in his life, our natural inclination is to judge that person for his action. Remember, that everyone makes mistakes and it's perfectly normal.
That person is likely to feel bad and guilty of his actions already, but it doesn't mean that it defines the person for who he is. Surely, he must have some good qualities that far outweigh his faults. So instead of framing that person as having a bad character, you should instead frame it as a bad action on his part.
Give the benefit of the doubt
Always keep in mind that whatever action a person has done, you should always give him the benefit of the doubt.
A co-worker quitting on his job doesn't necessarily mean he can't handle the stress at work, it could be that he is just making a career change. Or seeing a child throwing tantrums doesn't mean the parents suck at parenting, it could be that the child's action is a result of a bad night's sleep.
Constantly remind yourself to never judge anyone based on their looks, appearances, race, and especially his actions without finding out the reasons why.
And with that, I'll leave you with a wonderful quote I found on the internet:
Are you constantly judging other people for their actions? What instance in your life where you were being judgmental about something yet you were wrong?
I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
References:
Are you a judgemental person?
How to stop being judgemental
A simple method to avoid being judgemental
Image sources:
https://pixabay.com/en/people-man-guy-male-thinking-2596531/
https://pixabay.com/en/girls-relaxation-milan-italy-fun-1353184/