Judging Others

[Cage]

I've been noticing this a lot lately. Mosty with other religious groups, but we are all guilty of judging others, aren't we? Not that I view it as a major sin, but I think it makes a person seem high minded, and that in and of itself is a judgement, lol.

Why do we do it? Wouldn't life be much more enjoyable if we put aside our judgements and simply accepted others for who they are? Wouldn't that give way to a certain inner peace, and turn us from allowing others control of our emotions?

Some might say we're just observing, but our observations are based on subjective experience, so our limited observations of another bear no real light as to 'who' that person is...still we judge, ridicule, insult, and reject others based on our these observations. What then, do our judgement of others say about ourselves?

That's my question...


James

[wil]

I had a neighbor, I'd say a bigoted neighbor but that would be judgemental...

Who inisted it wasn't prejudice he practiced but postjudice...

ie he based his current position on others based on what he'd seen in the past.

Of course he did extend those postjudice thoughts onto folks of similar race, creed, religion or sexual orentation based on the past experiences...

Judgemental, Prejudice, Justificating all pretty tricky areas.

All I have to do is think about others being judgemental and all my judgemental thoughts pop up.

[Cage]

Mine too, wil and it drives me nuts. Why are we this way? Why do we feel the need to judge?

[InLove]

When I am disturbed because I feel like I am under a microscope, I usually find this to be an excellent opportunity to take a peek as well.

InPeace,
InLove

[wil]

Its the freakin mirror theory....I dislike the mirror and the theory...

Falls into the Dali Lama's, "You know you are enlightened when everyone you see you see as enlightened"

The mirror says, everytime you see a trait in someone you dislike it is because you have that trait in you and you dislike it. That those we bring into our realm are reflections of ourselves (ourcellves).

Oh, I don't like that mirror...(or bloody microscope either for that matter)

How many classes did I sign up for? And when will I matriculate?

[InLove]

We don't have to always look for the things we don't like.

[Cage]

Good point, InLove, but it's very hard to take a peak at self from the inside and see the same thing when others are looking from the outside. The two perceptions are usually at great odds with each other. The person under the microscope knows their true intentions, while those looking from the outside in only get a glimps of what is truly there.

Then, the same can be said for self evaluation...often times we are blind to what others see and perhaps a bit biased to boot.

Why then, with such contrast in perceptions, do we still judge knowing this truth; we attempt to justify our judgements, and often times, we pursue seperation as opposed to unity with one another?

It's all quite disturbing when you think about it. As wil suggested, it could be that we are seeing things in others that we don't like about ourselves, so is the solution to remove the mirror, or stop looking at self in such a negative light? Maybe there is no solution...

I appologize if the question is offensive to anyone. Self evaluation isn't always easy, but we all do it from time to time...including me.

Thanks, InLove. The lense needs cleaning, but I'll take a peak from the inside as soon as I can find the darn thing!


James

[InLove]

Hey Cage and wil and Everyone here--

I hope you both know that I wasn't speaking to or about anyone in particular. Just following the stream of thought and responding.

InPeace,
InLove

[Cage]

Originally Posted by wil

Its the freakin mirror theory....I dislike the mirror and the theory...

Falls into the Dali Lama's, "You know you are enlightened when everyone you see you see as enlightened"

I've always thought of enlightenment as the realization of the true self; Junk and all. I think we're all the same, and that part of the process of realization is the realization, or awarness that we are one. (One body, one mind, one soul, one Love)

I guess it comes down to accepting self, which is a tough one to pull off at times...


Love,

Originally Posted by InLove

I hope you both know that I wasn't speaking to or about anyone in particular. Just following the stream of thought and responding.

Your statement hit home, but that's a good thing. I think we all need to pull out the scope from time to time. Great advice...


Love,

[wil]

Originally Posted by InLove

Hey Cage and wil and Everyone here--

I hope you both know that I wasn't speaking to or about anyone in particular. Just following the stream of thought and responding.

You serioiusly weren't concerned were you love?

Can you blame me for not totally appreciating that which shines a light on my issues? Or heaven forbid magnifies them??

While I realize all this is here for my growth and I appreciate it....do I have to like it too?

[Paladin]

if it is true we see our own shortcomings and character defects reflected outside ourselves, then the things we admire in others, their compassion, humility, insight, love, devotion, etc must therefore be in us as well.


Peace
Mark

[InLove]

Originally Posted by wil

While I realize all this is here for my growth and I appreciate it....do I have to like it too?

LOL, wil--you are either going to love or hate my answer: Not always.

Originally Posted by Paladin

if it is true we see our own shortcomings and character defects reflected outside ourselves, then the things we admire in others, their compassion, humility, insight, love, devotion, etc must therefore be in us as well.

I put this quote in here because I just wanted to put things back like I found them.

YES.

InPeace,
InLove

[Cage]

Just for the record, I wasn't pointing fingers at anyone. This is just a question that has been on my mind for a few days. The truth is that I feel the microscope invading me, and it hurts. Still, I know I do the same thing at times, and wanted to discuss the issue for the sake of all.

Again, I appologize for any offence, and paladin you're absolutely right...


James

[wil]

Originally Posted by Paladin

if it is true we see our own shortcomings and character defects reflected outside ourselves, then the things we admire in others, their compassion, humility, insight, love, devotion, etc must therefore be in us as well.

yippee....the blessing....and we have to be accepting and grateful. Sometimes I think being overly humble in this regard negates some of the flow of good...

[flowperson]

I think that you are all wonderful in any context, from what you all consistently say here day after day...and I say this knowing that you are all "the other". This perspective is inescapable owing to the fact that we are individualls within ourselves, and any interaction with another sentient being outside of this boundary that is "natural" for everyone, automatically sets up the potential for judgement activities within ourselves depending upon the nature of interactions.

I can only think of one set of circumstances of interaction between individuals that might not follow this paradigm, and that is sexual interactions. In this set of activities emotion overules reasoning, at least for some time, and judgemental activities just...go away for a while. But inevitably they return, often with disastrous consequences, but sometimes also with ongoing love and bliss.

flow....