Don't Be Too Quick to Judge

 

 

A senior citizen slowly slumped to the floor of a supermarket aisle, finally coming to rest against the lower rack of his shopping cart.

 

A man standing less than six feet away glanced in his direction as he reached for a carton of cottage cheese...

 

...and walked away.

 

A middle-aged woman farther down the aisle looked over her shoulder at the stricken shopper.

 

For a moment, I was certain she was coming to help.

 

Instead, she simply continued to the checkout lane.

 

My first reaction was to judge them.

 

Then I stopped myself.

 

You may think of yourself as open-minded—and compared to many people, you probably are. You may enjoy helping others, volunteering your time, sharing your talents, or giving generously without expecting anything in return. You may even pride yourself on seeing both sides of an issue.

 

Those are admirable qualities.

 

But none of us is completely free from the thoughts, experiences, and assumptions that shape the way we see the world.

 

It is physically impossible to walk completely in another person's shoes.

 

We all filter what we see through our own experiences.

 

Recognizing that filter is one of the first steps toward becoming more objective—and more compassionate.

 

That's precisely why I didn't judge the two shoppers who failed to come to the elderly man's aid.

 

There were probably reasons I couldn't see.

 

Some people struggle with social anxiety. Others doubt their ability to help. Some are afraid of making matters worse. Others simply fear becoming involved in what they perceive to be someone else's emergency.

 

I don't know what was going through their minds.

 

Neither do you.

 

I was simply grateful that I happened to be there—and that I could help.

 

The happiest and most fulfilling lives are often enriched by helping others—whenever we are able.