Think Twice Before Judging Others

By , SparkPeople Blogger
I'm sure we all know what it's like to feel judged by someone else.  Maybe it's because of the way you look, or the way you act, or something you've said.  No matter what the reason, it probably didn't feel very good.  I've always been sensitive.  I remember my mom writing in my baby book that at age two "she has her feelings hurt easily."  It's hard for me to feel criticized or misunderstood, and I tend to take things very personally.
 
We seem to live in a society where it's normal and accepted to judge people for all sorts of things- their choice of clothing, the food in their grocery carts, how they parent, who their friends are- the list goes on and on.  I'm certainly not saying I'm perfect and have never been guilty of judging others.  But because I'm sensitive to it and because I want to set a good example for my kids, I try my best not to jump to conclusions about others. 
 
In general, I consider myself to be a private person.  It's not easy for me to share personal details about my life, especially when I'm blogging.  But I feel like my blogs are usually better when I can relate them to my own experiences, so that I'm not just spitting out facts about the latest study or trend.  Every time I'm writing a blog, in the back of my mind I'm constantly thinking about how someone is going to interpret something I've said or what kind of opinion they are going to form about me.  It makes me choose my topics and my words very carefully.  I know other bloggers who can easily let negative or misunderstood comments roll off of their backs.  I am willing to accept that not everyone is going to agree with me, and some people might even think I'm totally nuts.  When someone disagrees with me, I try my best to learn from it and see their point of view.  But I struggle when someone makes assumptions about my life or interprets my words in a way that I never intended.  I know I need to develop thicker skin so that these kinds of comments don't get to me. 
 
If you're someone who has struggled with their weight, maybe you can relate.  It's so easy to judge a person and say "If they just gave up the junk food and got off the couch, they'd lose weight."  Yet you never know if that person has already lost 100 pounds and is halfway to their weight loss goal.  You never know if they have medical issues that prevent them from exercising, or have been going through problems in their life that make weight loss feel unimportant right now.  Until I am in that other person's shoes, I have no right make those assumptions about someone else's life.  I just wish that everyone would take a moment to stop and think about how their comments, expressions and thoughts can have an affect on another person. 

Okay, rant over.  I'll get off my soapbox now.
 
What do you think?  Are you guilty of judging others?  Have you been judged before?  How did it make you feel?