Think of times when someone or a group of people have miss-judged you. They drew their own conclusions to the truth. Was it painful and frustrating?
You are in a unique position to do something different. Why? Because you know what it is like and you didn't like it.
When you are dealing with someone that seems to deserve your judgment, don't do it. Most often, they are already being kicked when they are down. Will it hurt you to stand up for that person? Maybe others won't understand or they might ridicule you. What about the person you defend? You will be the only light in their current dark world. They will feel some love in a less than loving situation. Their heart will be uplifted.
Instead of joining the crowd of others that are kicking and punching with their words, do something different. Make a difference! You should do it without reward, but you may find yourself rewarded just because you did.
An example from my experience:
For years, I have working providing free dental services to people. Sometimes I would hear volunteer professionals (and others) talk about how pathetic patients were. After all, why didn't they just brush and floss? Any opportunity I got, I had to put in my two cents. It went like this: "If they grew up with their basic needs being met and their daddy was a dentist, maybe they would have known what was needed."
After years of being very angry that some people would assume the patients were slack or on drugs, I came to my own realization. All of that time, I defended the patients as not knowing better. The truth is that the others were ignorant and I shouldn't judge them either. They knew their worlds and not much more. How could they understand the plight of a person that struggled to find something to eat and was exhausted at that end? How could they understand how someone might not know certain things that were 'common sense' to them? They, themselves were unaware.
The bottom line- No one is in a position to judge anyone else. You have not walked in the other's shoes, so you will never understand.
My two cents,
Cassandra Minor
