Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
I sometimes wonder about people that are judgmental. I often think it is a form of fear. Fear to admit something to themselves. But I’m never sure what exactly that thing is.
How many stories have you read about some of the most successful people in the world once being homeless? I’ve heard a lot, and I bet you have as well.
So really, when you judge the homeless man on the corner, you are expressing a form of ignorance. How do you know his situation? How do you know he won’t end up hiring you as an employee one day in the company he built from scratch? And really, how do you know he’s not happy?
The last one always perplexes me. People assume that having stuff automatically means a person is happy. Of course, research shows this isn’t the case at all. There are plenty of wealthy and successful people that commit suicide, become drug addicts, and live lives of quiet desperation. But, of course, they are fine because they have a nice car.
Nonsense.
Did you know that Buddha shunned his royal comforts to live with the poor? He would beg, go hungry, and wear rags.
The riches he was born into was an affront to his happiness. He did not want them. For him, happiness was found in detachment to the worldly pleasures and comforts that so many of us value so highly.
Many people would call this “crazy.” But is it not crazy to slave away in a job you hate when there are millions of other jobs out there? Is it not crazy to stay in that abusive relationship because you are afraid of being lonely? Is it not crazy to do stuff you don’t want to do for extended periods of time so you can buy stuff you really don’t need and that rarely, if ever, bring lasting happiness? Is it not crazy to say things like “I wish,” “I can’t” or “I should” instead of just doing them?
Is it not crazy to do MANY of the things that modern men and women do on a regular basis?
Yes. It’s all crazy, but not uncommon in the least.
That’s sad and crazy.
I can’t stand the amount of ignorance that runs rampant in the world. It’s not the ignorance itself that bothers as ignorance is forgivable, and often, understandable. What really bothers me is when people force their ideals and beliefs, that are rooted in ignorance, down other people’s throats. Or when ignorance is the source of bullying and emotional abuse.
Ignorance is forgivable when it is on accident and is not hurting anyone. Ignorance is despicable when it is used to hurt others.
Judgement is ignorance. And while it may not seem that you are hurting anyone else, you are very often at least hurting yourself. And that is despicable.
Yours in a judgement-free world,
-Colin Stuckert