7 Ways to Break a Habit of Judging Others
Have you ever tried to live at least a few minutes without judging someone? I believe it’s a great pleasure and happiness to be free from judgment. Unfortunately, we are all judgmental in a certain way. The human nature to be judgmental causes interpersonal barriers and hatred, creating some kind of division between people.
There are so many different nationalities and cultures that it’s sometimes hard to suppress the desire to judge somebody, because they are different. I know that everyone finds themselves the best and the most special, but if you want to avoid being judgmental, you should stop comparing yourself to someone else. You’d better pay attention to your own failures and try to state a clear idea of how you should lead your life.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said a wise thing, “By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” Here are a few tips to follow if you want to break a habit of judging people around you.
1 Consider this thought
The first thing you should do is to understand the nature of the thought. This annoying thought turns into a destructive habit to judge people. Consequently, you may lose friends, happiness and respect if you continue judging others. Try to realize that you are not perfect. All people live on the same planet, breathe in oxygen and have the same physical structure of the body. The main difference is the inner world that is created individually by every person. If you admit this truth, you’ll have a chance to persuade yourself that judging others is a bad habit.
2 Try to be self-critical
Do you have the right to judge people? Do you really know how to handle everything in this world? I believe that you don’t. It’s desirable to reflect deeply on your lifestyle, your traits of character and ask yourself hard questions to find out the reasons why you judge others. These questions can help you discover the nature of your personality and all possible contradictions in your inner world. You may suffer from arrogance and insincerity, which also make you judgmental of others.
3 Forgive them
I know it’s very difficult to stop judging others. You may try to replace judgment with forgiveness. Judgmental people tend to hold grudges on those they dislike. They often find it difficult to forgive other people. If you’ve been hurt, then forgiveness is a powerful and effective way to clear away the judgment. First of all, you should develop the ability to forgive yourself. Over time, it will help you forget about the habit of judgment and build a more accepting and loving relationship with yourself and with others.
Read also – 9 Surefire Ways to Get Rid of a Bad Habit
4 You aren’t in their shoes
Every person has their own path of life. There are different families and life conditions. It’s wrong to judge, unless you are in this person’s shoes, because you have no idea what are you talking about. If you have never experienced the same things, you should try to imagine the circumstances that might have led the person acting like they act. Moreover, you can offer a helping hand instead of judging.
5 Set a goal to break this habit
If you have already got used to the habit to judge people, you should do your best to break it. Believe that you are strong enough to overcome bad habits. I think it’s better to engage yourself in all possible activities for you to be extremely busy. You won’t have time to think about other people, because it will help you replace your negative thoughts by new interests and duties.
6 You don’t have the facts to judge
Unfortunately, many people tend to judge and criticize others without knowing the facts. If you don’t want to look like a liar, you should make it a habit to keep from judgment until you find out all news and facts about the situation. After you bring everything to light, you may decide what you can do. It’s up to you, whether you judge them or try to help this person to handle the situation.
7 Don’t forget about compassion
Compassion is not the sign of weakness, but a wonderful trait that heals hearts and breeds love and goodness. When you feel compassion for somebody, you automatically begin to look for all possible ways to help them. Compassion is like the medicine that helps you resist the need to judge and criticize. Furthermore, you should imagine what problems and challenges of life other people may experience. This trait will make you a wise, noble and wonderful person.
Judgment is the recipe for suffering for both sides. Like many other people, I’ve experienced the problem of judgment. I preferred to get rid of this heavy burden. Now I feel the benefits in both my body and mind. If you want to feel as light as a feather, you should follow these tips on how to stop being judgmental of others. You will feel better and your life will be better as well. Have you ever struggled with a habit of judging people around you? Please, share your story and give us a piece of advice how to win this trait of character.
