I discriminate. I judge all day, everyday...and people judge me. I'm judged everyday for my parenting decisions, my Facebook posts, business dealings. I'm judged. And I welcome it..
I'm anxiously awaiting the phrase "don't judge me..." to evaporate from our everyday dialogue.
Trust me - you should welcome the judgement of others. With judgment comes reward, with judgment, comes advancement; with judgment comes success.
With the good, comes the bad. You can't separate healthy judgment from short-sided and ignorant judgment. Two sides of the same sword.
Nearly everyone has voiced an opinion about cops shooting blacks, extremists killing gays, snipers killing cops. We've all made judgments on these acts, made judgments of those who've committed these acts of violence. Justification and judgment will soon be made in both the court of public opinion and courts of law.
The people we become is based on our experiences. True that some of our behavior is bent due to DNA patterns, but a large majority of WHO I am and who you are is due to the people we listen to, the rhetoric in which we expose ourselves, and whether or not we EXPOSE ourselves to people, environments, and opinions that are VASTLY different than our own. We must FORCE ourselves to be uncomfortable. Exposure to difference is key in curbing bigoted attitudes and behavior
We all seek comfort. The warm fireplace on a cold evening, the soft blanket, the full bank account, the arms of a love-one, the faith in a higher-power, a friend's shoulder to cry on.
But, when we overexpose ourselves to comfort, we become addicted to satisfy our most carnal wants and needs. This leads to familiarity, laziness, and ignorant judgment. Too much reliance on familiarity and comfort can lead us away from the experiences and lives of others.
Like speaks to like. Finding those who share our passions, likes & dislikes, and familial experiences are important. But, the more we limit our exposure to life OUTSIDE of our comfort zone, the more narrowly-minded and ignorant we become.
"I don't like that man. I must get to know him better" - Abraham Lincoln
Old Abe was spot-on over 150 years ago. Getting to know someone "better" takes time and energy. We'd rather roll a judgment-laden hand-grenade into a room, shut the door, and run the other direction. In our "Twitter-tough" world, it's easy to slap ignorant rants and opinions and run the other direction often without leaving an identity.Weak and immature.
Ignorance is easy, racism is lazy, bigotry is simple. Acceptance is challenging, Understanding takes energy.
I'm fascinated by and a huge fan of the American comedy legend, Don Rickles. For over 50 years, Don Rickles has repeatedly sold out his one-man comedy shows. Don has become a legend by often exposing the differences in people. His comedy routine is full of insults. Yet, somehow, EVERYONE loves Don Rickles. I appreciate and value Don's take on people because he exposes the irony of bigotry through comedy. In the 1970's, television visionary, Norman Leer, introduced us to Archie Bunker in "All in the Family". Actor Carol O'Connor's portrayal of Bunker was ground-breaking. Bunker was real, honest, bigoted, racist, homophobic, and misogynistic. Bunker added in exposing the secrets of American culture and brought light to a dark separation between peoples in America. ALL people watched, all people listened. "All in the Family" still stands today as one of greatest American television programs.
Somehow - we've reversed our ability to laugh at the differences in ourselves. We've become oversensitive and politically correct. Yet, we've also turned our heads to the obvious bigoted and racist tendencies of us all.
The events of recent days are not funny. The events of recent days should not be taken lightly. They are serious and much personal and societal introspection needs to take place.
But maybe we all need to slow down, take time to understand, and expose ourselves to uncomfortable experiences. Extract ourselves from our comfort zones. We all must stretch further to understand the racism and bigotry within all of us. Serve and extend smiles to those who are different.
Teach the world they may be wrong about you - not through hateful protests or rage-filled, scathing, FB posts or blogs, but through serving, teaching, understanding, listening, and becoming uncomfortable...
It's not pithy or simple or insensitive. It's true.
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