Are you a judgmental person?

What I'd like to share with you today is short and sweet.

You can't be curious and judgmental at the same time.

Next time you recognize you're judging someone else, regardless of how big or small that may be, ask yourself what you may be missing.

You may assume you know what's best for the other person or judge a decision they've made.

The trouble with this is you only have so much information. You aren't walking in that person's shoes, with their story and personality. You could never actually have all the data necessary to know what's better for another person. And even if you did, our personalities shape how we perceive things. Not to mention, you both have different wounds that shape those perceptions, too.

Maybe you're judging someone else's thoughts politically. Instead of thinking they're an idiot, perhaps you can get curious about their story and what makes that person so passionate about that particular topic. We form opinions based on our experiences, so there's a reason for everything we think and do. You don't have to agree with them, either. But it's much harder to hate someone when you have proximity and understanding. Living curious is much less stressful than feeling angry, resentful, or judgmental of someone else.