Good Judgment, Bad Judgment

How often do you hear someone accuse another person of being judgmental? Or perhaps have even done it yourself. But have you ever stopped to think about the irony of that?

If you're one that's quick to call someone judgmental, you might not realize you could be engaging in judgment yourself. It's a cycle you don't notice, but it's key to how you see disagreement and criticism.

Being judgmental isn't just about disagreeing with someone. It's more complex than that. Once you understand the difference, it changes how you approach conversations, choices, and even conflict.

When Judgment Isn't the Villain

Not all judgment is bad. In fact, there's a form of it you should embrace called discernment. It's unemotional, objective, and rooted in truth when you're fully aware and free from anger.

Think of it as simply seeing things for what they are, without attaching your personal feelings or needing to be right. It allows you to make decisions based on facts, not emotions or opinions. There is, after all, such a thing as right and wrong.

Even Jesus engaged in this type of judgment—calling out errors with calm clarity, not out of anger or pride, but from pure observation. That's the God consciousness that He lived and proposed for all.

No, driving animals out of the temple with a whip fashioned from rope and turning tables upside down to prevent merchants and money changers from conducting business is not anger. Just because you get angry in such situations doesn't mean Jesus did.

The Deadly Trap That Feels Good (For a Minute)

But here's where things get a bit tricky—emotional judgment. When you mix approval, and disapproval, as emotional bias into your evaluations. Then you're playing God. You're deciding who deserves praise or condemnation based on how you feel in the moment.

It means you've attached yourself to Something within that believes It has the authority to send others to Heaven or Hell, and It pulls you into that fantasy.

This kind of judgment divides you from others, spreading resentment, and blinding you to reality. You feel superior, God-like. But it means that you are really tearing others down in the process.

Disagreeing Without the Drama

Here's the key. You can absolutely disagree with someone without being judgmental. There's a wholesome quality to disagreement built on discernment.

Our country was founded on debate! When you're aware and alert, critical thinking arises. You can clearly see a situation for what it is and respond without emotion, without needing to be right, and without tearing the other person down.

When you confuse disagreement with judgment, you miss out on opportunities to grow, learn, and find common ground. The moment you call someone "judgmental," you're shutting down the conversation and losing that chance.

The Good, the Bad, and the Judgy

The bottom line is that judgment isn't inherently bad. It's all about how you experience it. Are you seeing injustice or wrong through clear, unemotional eyes? Or are you unconsciously, and perhaps unwittingly, hosting a false self that loves to play God?

Discernment helps you grow by allowing you to see things clearly, while emotional judgment traps you in a cycle of superiority and division, playing God. You do NOT want a lifetime of that.

Breaking Free. A Better Way to Judge

If you're stuck in this cycle, Non-Contemplative Meditation offers a way out. It helps you see your thoughts without getting swept away by them, giving you the clarity to make better choices.

You'll develop discernment. You'll drop emotional judgment. You'll start living from a place of perfect peace, connected to your Creator, with His will and none other in charge of your life.

It's a simple practice with a profound impact—leading you away from the false self and toward real freedom forever.