Belated Wednesday Writing - January 24 - A Rant!

I wasn't going to post anything this week about what I was or wasn't writing. Mainly because I haven't been writing and haven't been 'up to snuff' this week. Until...

I was on Facebook and saw something posted by Person A. I was intrigued and shared with Person B, thinking it was right up her alley. It was, however, Person B stated Person A no longer had anything to do with her because Person A had made a judgment, telling Person B she was anti-something.

And it really bothered me and got me to thinking about JUDGMENT.

First, let me state I'm a Virgo and judging people is in my bones! It's something I have to really watch myself over - judging people. And before you think 'people in glass houses...', I judge myself also. I don't have an inner critic, I have the Morman Tabernacle Choir of critical self. Now I think I go a bit easier on myself and have it down to a quartet, but I judge myself.

I started thinking about all the ways we judge each other, probably without even thinking we are judging.

• Age
• Cars
• Money
• Clothes
• Hair
• Children
• Schools
• Color of their skin
• House
• Vacations
• Political stance
• Intelligence
• Sexual Orientation
• Hobbies
• Food
• Religion
• Weight
• Good looks
• Where they were raised

You get the idea. We make decisions about how we will deal with each other based on factors if the other person is in the right 'group' for us. 

And I just do it myself. I have a friend, a couple of years older than myself, who is looking for a new job. My first thought was 'she's too old, they won't hire her'. Not that she might not have the skills needed for the job, but her age.

Before you tell me we all make judgments a hundred times a day, yes, I agree. We do. But most of those are more common sense choices than judgments.

For example, I open the refrigerator and am trying to decide on whether I want the leftover steak or the leftover hamburger patty. Well, steak, you say! But I fixed it 10 days ago and it's been sitting there. The hamburger patty I cooked last night. Hamburger it is! Common sense, not judgment. (Judge me on letting food sit unused in the fridge that long!)

Same thing deciding between two apples to eat. One is plump and juicy looking. The other a bit withered and not so 'glossy' looking. I'm picking the plump one. 

So back to judging people.

I am so over it. It pisses me off more and more the older I get. And most of it has to do whether or not a person 'believes' like you do. (Which happens to be one of the tenets you are not supposed to do according to certain religions!)

Years ago I adopted a philosophy which has stood me in good stead. It runs something like this - I don't care if you believe in or fall in love with a purple cow, just don't expect me to believe in or fall in love with a purple cow.

That's it. You do your 'thing' and respect my right to do my 'thing'. I don't mind discussing your purple cow every now and then, but I don't want it shoved in my face. 

So everyone quit judging! Let's base our opinions of someone on their actions rather than how much money they have or what they 'look' like or what church they may or may not attend. After all, some of the people who have been the first to help me in the past have been in untraditional relationships, had numerous tattoos, dyed hair, and multiple piercings. 

Don't throw stones, because a boulder could be rolled right back at you!