6 of 152

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 2

time with, become friends with, marry or avoid like the plague.

What is important is not whether or not to judge someone, as I've said, that is unavoidable, but HOW you make your judgment and then what ACTIONS you take based on that judgment. Sheepishly following the judgments of others about someone IS making a judgment, not only on them but on yourself as well.

It is perfectly acceptable to make judgments based on your emotional response to someone as well as reason. Eighty to ninety percent of communication is through body language that we normally interpret subconsciously, so what you feel about someone is almost always based on this. Following your "gut instincts" about someone who seems to be saying all the right words can save you from being ripped off by the confidence trickster.

Of course, the above requires you to meet and communicate with a person before you can judge them. And this is the most legitimate form of judgment. Care should be taken on forming judgments of people who are strangers to you. Fear of strangers has been with us since primordial times and before, reason therefore should become a much more significant component of our judging when applied to those we do not know. The only fair way to judge a stranger, as we usually must when voting for our political leaders for example, is to judge the person on their actions.

Judging someone you don't know on the basis of generalisms, such as race, religion or even where they live, is both lazy and stupid. It is perhaps, the major cause of all disharmony in the human world. Presumptions based on such quite simply are not true. They may be true for some of the people within that general group, in fact they almost certainly will be, but not for all. Humans have a diverse range of personalities and that diversity exists in all the general categories that are used to group people.

How you act towards someone once you have made a judgment is also important. We are a gregarious species and live in community with each other. Harmony and peace with those around us is surely to be desired most, for all our sanity. Politeness and restraint with those we dislike is to be favored, and avoidance used where possible. This does not mean you should take abuse, defend yourself with words when necessary, if violence is offered, flee if you can but if you can't, defend yourself to the degree necessary.

Make you own judgments of people and do not feel guilty for doing so. Act towards those you find you dislike in a restrained and dignified manner. If we all do this, the world can't help but become a better place for all of us and our loved ones to live in.

Learn more about this author, Perry McCarney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

Add your voice

Know something about Who are you to judge others??
We want to hear your view. Write now!