Shanley Knox
In her well circulated GOOP newsletter, Gwyneth Paltrow recently featured Deepak Chopra, MD, a guest writer who touched on the subject of judgment, and how it can negatively affect both the one who is judged, and the one who is judging.
“Often times, when we occupy the space of ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’ it keeps us from seeing our own responsibility in matters,” Chopra writes. “When we judge others’ foibles and personality traits, what does it really say about us? What can we do to identify and get rid of judgment in ourselves and in our lives?”
Chopra encourages readers to look at the hidden side of judgment. While society does depend on values of right and wrong, Chopra says that it is necessary to question the value of judging other individuals because, “Us-versus-them thinking is destructive to both sides of the equation.”
While judgment may seem necessary, Chopra writes that we often condemn in others what we are afraid to see in ourselves, and that, beyond a healthy sense of ethics, blame can also be the projection of guilt.
Is it possible that judgment of others is negatively affecting your life? If so, how could you change your view on the hidden side of judgment?
Read more about letting go of judgment.
Photo credit: Margaret Jacobsen Photography. Used with Permission.
