Quick to judge? Quick to see the ‘bad’ in others? But… how do you go about being fair and right? What do you do with ‘your judgment’ in order to confirm it?What is your method of assessing ‘truth’? To begin with – what is the source of your information on which you make your judgment? Trusted source? First hand account or multiple layers?
Without question we all make judgments – one issue is our source, another is our motivation, and lastly – how we act on these judgments. Probably there are other issues, but these are primary ones. We need to determine the reliability and trustworthiness of the source of the information. And do we simply pass on what’s been said before we’ve understood and thought through what we need to do? For sake of argument – let’s say that the information is accurate and verifiable. Now what? What, if any, responsibility do we have?
Do we pass on the information to the relevant people or do we gossip? Or both? What we do with and how we express the information does imply our judgment on it. Whether we agree or disagree, our motivation does influence what we do/say and how we go about it. In determining why you will or will not pass on your judgment reflects on your priority about it and why it should be shared.
Lastly, do you apply mercy in these situations? Do you consider what you would do in the same scenario? It is so easy to jump to conclusions. Do you ever go to the people involved and seek to discover what actually happened? Did everything just escalate? Don’t assume. Even with a trusted source. Make certain what your own motivations are – especially when it is with people or a person you really don’t like. Know what outcome you would like to see happen and let this be transparent – never hide your own agenda. And cover everything with mercy.
