On Judgment

In the past few weeks, I have been contemplating the idea of Judgment. Having become more outspoken in the past 1.5years, embarking on my own raw food journey, I found that one thing has also become more outspoken, and that is my judgment. In interacting and engaging with people, I find more and more that people are calling each other judgmental and telling each other not to judge when they disagree with each other. 

When you think about it, it doesn't make sense to call other people out on their behavior, thoughts, feelings and creative expressions and then say that you don't judge yourself, simply because you disagree with them, or the way they go about things.

Disagreeing with someone is different from appealing to your judgment. Disagreeing with the way they go about things is a sign of healthy thinking (or so I feel). But, then, we ought to say to that person: "I disagree with you" and then point out our reasons why and how. Instead of telling them: "You are so judgmental and aggressive and you're wrong about that person." Because that equals judging them, thus, doing onto them what we would not want done unto us, or our heroes/gurus/idols. 

Thinking critically is also different from doing onto them what you would not have done onto you. Having a critical disposition towards the information that we take for truth is, in my opinion, a sign of spiritual health. Critical thinking is what separates us from being solely intuitive beings, acting on impulse alone. Our critical thinking enables us to form opinions, draw conclusions, in other words, form our own judgment, and appeal to that judgment when we need to. 

And, critical thinking enables us to stay close to our instinct, our intuition, at the same time. Critical thinking keeps us from being swayed by someone else's ideas for us, and their intention to use that to get what they want from us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, whether in a good or (perceived) bad sense. 

Our judgment protects us from making harmful decisions. It saves us from the claws of those who do not have our best interest at heart. Our judgment enables us to see beyond someone's exterior; enabling us to see beyond first glance rough exteriors and into someone's heart to grasp the true meaning of their message. And,  it goes the other way 'round too; our judgment enables us to make informed decisions as to people who say something in public but something completely different behind closed doors. If you disable your judgment, you won't be able to see past what meets the eye. Many people have that backwards, they feel judgment causes us to close our minds. In fact, it opens it, when we use it wisely, and do not condemn ourselves, nor others, based on our judgment.

Looking at it this way, our judgment enables us to make the decision to open our hearts and forgive. 

Judgment (and judging) have gotten a negative ring over the years, because certain people benefit hugely from an apparent: "No Judgment"-attitude. "No Judgment" in this regard, stands for openly disagreeing and questioning the information that's being presented and take it as truth without enabling your own common sense to determine what's acceptable to you. In that regard, they are disabling our right to form our own opinions, by calling us judgmental and aggressive when we do exercise this right. They will make it sound as if we are being negative, aggressive or even hostile or violent, for thinking critically about the information they're trying to sell us. They have a stake in it too, if we do not think for ourselves, they gain power. 

By not judging, by not thinking critically, and by not questioning information, we give away our power. We just hand it over. 

And, there is nothing peaceful about that, even when no apparent or direct harm comes from it.

If we truly set out not to judge, we allow ourselves the opportunity to truly define Who We Are in relation to the person or the subject we do not intend to judge. We listen to their point of views, and, when we find ourselves in disagreement, we decide for ourselves if this disagreement is acceptable to us, or if we better move on. Our judgment will help us figure out the most healthy thing to do. If it's acceptable, we can express our disagreement and point out why, enter into an honest debate. 

I am not suggesting it's wrong to call other people judgmental and aggressive, when that is your opinion of them, it just means that you are projecting your own judgment and aggression onto them, in return. If you are comfortable with that, and are ready to deal with the consequences, then I say go for it. However, if your intention is to call other people on the fact that you think they are wrong (mistakes in your eyes), and you pretend that you are not being exactly what you accuse others of (we can only recognize in others what we are familiar with ourselves) then I want to invite you to thoroughly investigate your own beliefs.

I question my beliefs all the time. I am not attached to anything, and I keep an open mind to all the information I come across. But, I still judge. I question. I am critical. I form my own opinions and draw my own conclusions. 

In fact, I would not have been alive today if it weren't for my judgment. 

With my judgment, I do not intend to hurt or disadvantage another being. My judgment, amongst many other things, empowers me. Therefore, it will also empower others. 

By investigating our thoughts, forming opinions, drawing conclusions, in other words judging situations, people and experiences, we enable growth. It's what's making us evolve mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

In fact, by using our judgment, we learn to accept, respect and value each other on a much deeper level than when we allow others to take over our sense of judgment for us.  

In loving acceptance,

Usha Sunrise

"If no one opens their mouth, no change can come about." ~ Usha Sunrise