We have a ton of opinions and make loads of assumptions about everything. All the time. Every day. Consciously and unconsciously.
Is today’s weather good or bad? Is your colleague’s outfit suitable? Is that child’s behavior appropriate?
We constantly pass judgment and give value to things. We jump to conclusions and label people and situations that occur as good or bad. Even when we don’t really know that much about something or when we don’t have all the facts, we still draw conclusions and pass judgment that we share with the world.
Even small children know about these things. It starts quite innocent with parents saying “That tastes good, doesn’t it?”, when they feed their child. By giving value to the food they’re serving, they are telling their child that there are foods that taste good and there are foods that taste bad.
We tell our children that the weather is good when it’s sunny. Consequently, the rain and storm are bad weathers. Even though we cannot control the weather at all, we still label it as good or bad.
Our worldview is formed by the culture we grow up in and the people we interact with. Our expectations shape how we react, what opinions we hold. When we see a situation we know nothing about, we still want to label it as good or bad. Sometimes our own ignorance causes us to cast judgments.
Even if we try, we never escape it fully. It’s really, really difficult to break free from what your mind is telling you. And your mind has been shaped by your upbringing and the social norms that govern your society.
But try just a little. Try just a little to break free. To see beyond your prejudice and assumptions. What if that person that you instantly dismissed because they didn’t look like you could have been your friend for life? Accept things for what they are. You don’t have to label everything as good or bad. They just are. Leave it at that.
Good or bad. Who knows? Something that you consider bad today could be a blessing in disguise. It could turn out to be a good thing in the future. So don’t judge it in the first place. Just let it be.
When you’re not constantly trying to categorize everything, you might discover that there are other truths out there and not just yours. It could shake your worldview. You might even have to reconsider some of your long-held beliefs. But don’t fret. This is neither good or bad, it simply is what it is.
Good or bad. Hard to say. So why even try?
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