## It’s a Significant Element of Our Human Nature
We require judgment. It is a core component of human thought, vital for evaluating risks and safeguarding the limits of our emotional and physical well-being. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to recognize that there are both objective and subjective judgments.
Objective judgments rely on facts and impartial evidence, whereas subjective judgments are shaped by personal emotions, preferences, or beliefs. We must learn to differentiate the types of judgments we make so we can release subjective evaluations that isolate, divide, discriminate, and disconnect us.
Judging by itself is neutral — neither positive nor negative. It becomes an issue when we start to identify ourselves with our judgments and allow them to define both ourselves and others.
In engaging in non-judgment, it’s not about feeling guilty for having judgments but about letting go of our identification with our subjective responses. While many are aware of mindfulness, it is essential for developing discernment.
How can we differentiate between discernment and subjective judgment?
Discernment is deliberate and logical, cultivated through analysis and objective judgment. In contrast, subjective judgments are spontaneous and arise without rationale. Taking the time to assess our thoughts — to question and reflect upon them — helps us foster discernment.
By nurturing awareness, we can catch ourselves as subjective judgments emerge — pause to assess the facts — and avert impulsive, emotion-fueled responses. We must improve our application of objective judgments to benefit ourselves and others.
I encourage you to create a list of your judgments and explore which are objective or subjective. For the subjective ones, reflect on how much they influence your identity. Can you work towards lovingly releasing them? Can you recognize that they don’t safeguard your well-being but rather foster division, disconnection, and isolation?
The paradox of judgment is that those we hold onto most firmly often reveal more about us than about those we judge.
What if each judgment you possess acted as a mirror?
What would it reflect back to you?
The task isn’t to silence judgment — it’s to learn to observe it clearly, to recognize what is beneficial, and to relinquish what merely mirrors our own fears and conditioning.
> Because ultimately, the way we evaluate the world shapes the way we experience it.