For someone who hates being judged by others, I find myself being very judgmental.  I make split-second decisions about others based on the limited information I have about them, and (here’s the part that I really dislike) I leave it at that.  I hold on to my initial judgment and keep these people at a distance because my initial judgment keeps them there.

How silly of me to assume that my judgment is correct when it’s been proven time and again to be completely incorrect.  I’ve been lucky to have been able to get to know people who I previously pigeon-holed, and I’ve discovered them to be truly wonderful people; some of them I cherish more than they will ever know.

While I tend to keep people at a distance, my assumptions keep them at that distance.  I rarely go deeper into other people’s lives to understand who they truly are, and what makes them special and unique.  It’s safer to keep them at a distance than for me to be proven wrong.  How many great people have I kept away because of my initial judgment?

Certainly I may come to find out that we have conflicting personalities, but I need to work to that point instead of relying on my primary judgments.  Financier and philanthropist Bernard Baruch once said, “If you get all the facts, your judgment can be right; if you don’t get all the facts, it can’t be right.”  While Baruch may have been talking about investments, his idea can easily be applied to people and relationships.  I need to give people time – I need to sit down with them, I need to share a meal with them, and I need to know them – I may well find some great people along the way.

much love. sheth.