Each of us has been guilty of passing judgement on someone else. People who claim they don't probably aren't being honest.

It’s human nature and often the product of a person with a predilection toward perfection.

It’s our self-critic that inspires this unpleasant human attribute.

Because many of us are “hard on ourselves”, we prefer to focus on condemning somebody else. It takes the emphasis off examining our own fallibility and puts the focus on somebody else’s shortcomings.

In the process of making social comparisons, we indulge in the opportunity to make moral judgements about other people to elevate our own virtuosity.

Sound familiar?

There’s plenty of people articulating their outrage to be seen as complicit in social ideas that have gained popularity. Its judgement at its finest and fails to appreciate our righteous indignation is often driven by banality of evil.

It’s what causes ordinary people to follow orders they would normally resist. When evil is framed in a way that embraces judgement, it’s easy to meander down the path of undesirable behavior.

So how do we ensure we don’t get trapped in the temptation of being too judgmental?

"The lease amount of judging we can do, the better off we are." --MICHAEL J. FOX

HERE ARE 9 WAYS WE CAN LEARN TO BE LESS JUDGMENTAL AND MORE SATISFIED

01. RECOGNIZE

Imagine walking through the woods and seeing a cat. It looks adorable. You approach and the cat tries to bite. You suddenly turn angry and instantly change your opinion of the kitty, until the wind picks up and you notice the cat is caught in a trap. We often don’t see other people’s reality and make instant judgements based on limited facts. Recognition is the first step toward improvement.

02. SELF-AWARENESS

By recognizing we don’t have all the information required to understand someone’s reality, we resist forming premature judgments. We wait before responding to that angry e mail. We avoid stalking people on social media so we can elevate our own self confidence. We learn to appreciate like the cat in the woods, behavior often has origin in something we don’t completely understand.

"Be curious, not judgmental."

-- WALT WHITMAN

03. IT ISN'T PERSONAL

When we argue or take offense to what somebody says on social media, we often take it personally. We assume it’s all about us. It isn’t. We never understand what someone is struggling with, but we should appreciate they are likely confronting their own battles. We become less judgmental when we learn not to take things personally.

04. SEE THE GOOD

Human beings have a negative bias. It’s hard to fight this tendency, but very liberating. If we can focus on seeing the good in somebody else, we remove the need to focus on flaws which leads to negative thinking.

05. WE ARE ALL HUMAN

When we scan our social media feed and immediately look for something to criticize, remember we are all human. We all desire recognition and long to be appreciated. We all have struggles, families and suffer pain and heartache. In addition, we all make mistakes. It helps to appreciate that we are more alike than we often believe.

06. NOT MY PATH

By appreciating we all have a different journey, we obviate the need to validate our own decisions by castigating someone for embracing different beliefs. Just because someone has chosen a different path doesn’t mean they are lost.

07. SELF-APPRAISAL

This is tough, but when we judge we can often recall a situation where we are guilty of the same behavior. That person that cuts us off on the interstate. We yell and get irate. However, most of us have been guilty of the same offense. Take a deep breath. Let it go and resist assuming it was something personal.

08. COMMON COURTESY

One thing I learned to genuinely appreciate in 2020, is that most people are doing the best they can. It’s easy to “jump to conclusions” or “take things personally”. However, when we focus on extending people’s common curtest, we choose to see the good and give people the benefit of assuming they’re not malicious. This takes the emphasis off us and encourages a more positive way of thinking.

09. CONCENTRATE ON YOU

When we focus on personal improvement and self-discovery, we spend less time worrying about what other people do. It’s not only healthy but it’s essential for letting go of judgement. By trolling social media criticizing everyone else, we spend less time committed to self-improvement. We judge others harshly because we are wrestling with our own deficiencies

"Easy to judge the mistakes of others, difficult to recognize our own mistakes."

WHAT DO YOU DO TO BECOME LESS JUDGMENTAL?

Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.