Judgment Day

Who of us has not judged our fellow man? There was a time when I would look at something or someone and, instantly, judgment would take over. And mostly, I wasn’t even aware that it was happening. I have been fortunate to attend several education courses that have since widened and enlightened my viewpoint. Before I knew it, one day while at the pool, I began noticing that I was judging and evaluating everything and everyone within eyes reach. Now, while some might say that judging and evaluating mean the same thing, I might think you could look at it as judging being a more personal observation than the objective act of evaluating. Nevertheless, I was doing it now, which brought up the question, “How often had I done this in the past?” For the rest of that day, I made it my practice to notice when I was judging and evaluating. What wasn’t clear to me at the time was that others must have noticed it about me in the past also, but had not brought it to my attention.


Since that day though, I have become more conscious of that practice which was once so automatic. I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to totally stop this practice, but I do know that as I catch myself participating in it, I’ll quickly acknowledge that it has happened, and then let it go while making every attempt not to judge myself for my own humanity as well.


Not too long ago, there was a situation with a prior boss of mine who, after I had been working in the industry for almost thirty years, fired me. I was quite unhappy about the situation and did not like the man for that action nor a few others that he displayed while I was working for him. But then I realized that if I continued to judge what transpired that day in the past, I would have actually frozen him and his attitude in time, not keeping open the possibility that he might change and one day reach a higher level of consciousness and integrity. There may be some time in the future when his life style alters to a higher level and he might regret his actions he had displayed toward me, and others in the past. If I “bear a grudge” for this man because of something that was offensive to me then, I will not be allowing space for the possibility of what might occur in the present or future. I can’t do anything about erasing past experiences with him, but I can approach the situation in a way that allows the possibility that he will reach his higher level which could effect change in his life for the better. To hold the grudge would be to always look at this person as frozen that one moment in time when he was not at his best.


I have offended others in my lifetime, not intentionally, but nonetheless I have offended them. Someone once wrote, “Forgiveness is giving up my right to make you wrong,” or something like that. So, though it might sound as if I am still judging, I would like to believe that my views of this subject have become widened, and while I may not be able to totally cease the practice of judging and evaluating, when I recognize it is happening, then acknowledging it and letting it go gives me more freedom and space I wouldn’t have otherwise.