Musings

Judging others is a natural phenomenon, but most seem to agree that there’s a point where it becomes counterproductive–where someone can live “rent-free” in my head.

So if a judgment arises, I let it be. I don’t lean in to it–feed it justifications, rationalizations, assign it as definitively true, etcetera etcetera. Simultaneously, I don’t deny it, try and rationalize it away, suppress it, or fight it. In my experience, all that feeds my judgement, and encourages it to linger as condemnation, grudges, or any number of counterproductive expressions. I just let it be. (And if I do feed it by accident or in a moment of weakness, it often shifts to judgment of myself, which means at that point, my new focus is to let my self-judgment be).

When I let it be, it leaves without my encouragement. I don’t act on it, speak on it, or let anyone know what’s going on in my brain. I just fully feel whatever spontaneously arises and I don’t feed it, if that makes sense. I let it flow, and it goes on its own.

Explore More Musings

If you enjoy these reflections, many more appear in Musings, Volume 1, a collection of Kent Wayne’s philosophical writings.

Or see how these ideas shape the worlds of Kent Wayne’s fiction.