Fear of judgement…
"Those who judge will never understand. And those who understand will never judge."
What if we exchanged judgment with curiosity? Now that's something to ponder.
I know personally, I do not like the feeling of being judged. It’s unsettling, it brings up insecurities, which has in many cases held me back, made me feel unworthy, incapable and doubtful. No one deserves to feel that way. That’s why I now make it an intentional effort to not be so quick to judge. You never know what someone is faced with what they have gone through to shape who they are today.
Being curious leads to understanding which is sparked by compassion, patience and the ability to see the good in things, rather than jumping to conclusions. When we judge, we immediately put up barriers and we separate. When we try to be open minded and understand, we grow together.
Leaving you with two more quotes before this blog ends. The first is from the one & only Oprah, "Self esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgements of others."
The second quote is from an unknown source, but anytime I’m focusing too much on what others think of me and my actions, I remind myself of this. “You had a purpose before anyone had an opinion.”
This topic of judgment based on social media illusions came up in my most recent TEDxOU talk. I encourage you spend 12 minutes watching this video to open your eyes about the power of being vulnerable and staying true to your authentic self.
Here are a couple articles that stood out to me about this topic…