Judgement
July 1, 2009 Jen
The Bible was the first to say that we have no right to judge others. That to see clearly, we first have to remove the log from our own eye – only then can we see the speck in someone else’s. In theory, I agree with this. But what about accouting for human nature?
Judgement is part of our human makeup. Looking at someone from the outside leaves us with little to go on as far as the person inside is concerned. So we judge based on the outside package. I think that this is fairly understandable. But what happens when we judge people we know, the people we care about?
Obviously we’re not always going to agree with every choice a friend, sibling, partner or parent makes. The same thing can be looked at by dozens of different people which will inevitably result in dozens of different interpretations. We are entitled to our beliefs and our opinions – but at what point should we draw the line between supporting a loved one in their decisions and sticking to our moral code? At what point are we standing by what we believe in, or simply judging the actions of those whose shoes we can’t place ourselves in?
None of us want to be judged. We want to be supported, even celebrated, in the choices we make. But sometimes it’s really difficult to see a situation objectively when you’re right in the middle of it. Sometimes it’s an outsider who has no emotions invested in the situation that has to point out the cracks and problems. In my experience, seldom do these people get thanked for their honesty. It’s really tough to point out something to a loved one that they clearly don’t want to see or even acknowledge. Often, we just end up alienating those we love by pointing out the obvious.
I feel that it’s my duty to be honest with the people I love. If I see a friend stumbling into a situation that can only end badly, I can’t just stand back and watch him or her fall into the pit. It will weigh heavily on my conscience if I just leave them to their own devices. At the same time, they are adults and perfectly capable of making their own choices, whether they are good or bad. Who am I to tell them that they’re doing it wrong?
All I know is that I need people to be honest with me. I may not take it well right from the beginning, but you can be sure that I’ll think about it afterwards, and consider if they were right.
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized and tagged: beliefs, honesty, human nature, judgement, loved ones, moral code, opinions, The Bible
1. Elri&hellip | July 1, 2009 at 4:01 pm
You don’t have to tell people they’re wrong or right, just give them your opinion and they can take it from there. I agree I would rather have my friends tell me that i’m doing something wrong or selfish.