Is it natural to pre-judge others?

Question

When we're on the train and see people we mentally judge them by their clothes, posture, enunciation of words if we hear them speak, and even the words we type here...... we might judge the type of education they have etc ......
Haven't we all judged others, maybe not harshly or outloud but inside our minds.

Was Jesus referring to not judge others publicly only or to try to fight the stereotypes in our mind and see others as equal human beings regardless of status, appearance or education.

What are your thoughts on whether or not you find yourself quietly judging others as you go about your day at work, school etc....without realizing it, do you catch yourself in mid pre-judging reflection and stop or let it play without a second thought?

Steve B - Do I detect a dose of sarcasm?

Rebel, you got that right....and thanks for Bregwields, and His4Life's insightful answers and to everyone

Answer 1

I think it's natural to discern things about people with little actual knowledge of them. It's a defense mechanism that gives us an advantage when dealing with strangers.... it's a type of personal profiling. Nothing of course takes the place of really getting to know someone but until we do, it natural to prejudge based on any number of criteria...speech, dress etc...

If I'm taking the subway at night, I avoid young thuggish looking males. They maybe grad students but instinct tells me they could be criminals based solely on their appearance.

Answer 2

People say you can't judge a book by it's cover . But most of the time we can . You see a book marked the Bible , Dictionary or Romeo & Juliette on the cover you can pretty much assume that's what is in there . But sometimes it can be false . Example a woman dressed like a prostitute or a nun for a play most like will be neither . Although I am an Atheist I understand the Jesus references to say that your judging of a person's being "good" or "bad" should be done by their acts and not by their appearance , and that we should not judge them any more harshly than we would judge ourselves .

Answer 3

Yes. I think there is a big difference between prejudice and racism or bigotry.

We spend every moment of our lives pre-judging things. I have to quickly look at someone or something and make decisions. I don't have time to understand everything about every person that I meet or see. It's essential. I pre-judge if I see a threat or a danger for sure. I also pre-judge if a situation is safe or desirable. We have to do this.
If a person is dressed a certain way or has a certain posture or body language, I'm going to judge a certain way, if they approach me in a different way, then I will probably make a different judgment.

Racism or bigotry, is where pre-judging goes wrong. I can't apply my pre-conceived ideas about something against an entire race of people or a nation or "type" of person. That is ignorant and fails to apply the dignity that all people deserve.

Answer 4

It is natural. I don't think you should try to fight your stereotypes but investigate and see if you are right or way off. My grandmother once told me that everyday when she rode the train into the city for work she would play a guessing game in her mind. She would try to guess the person's occupation just by watching them for awhile; dress, appearance, and mannerisms were all she used. She was a natural conversationalist and thought nothing of then striking up a conversation with these people and would eventually find out if she was right or not. Today I'm sure some might find this annoying, but I think many enjoy the pleasure of conversation.

Answer 5

I'll admit to judging others less than most people because I am a carefree person, but I will also admit to automatically locking my doors when we get to a "bad part of town." If nothing bad has ever happened to me there before, then why should I feel the urge to lock my doors? If I walk home with a can of pepper spray, am I not judging anyone who maybe be passing me by?

In that case, I think it is OK because we are seeking safety, for ourselves and our loved ones. These are things I never realize, they just happen habitually.

But, let's say I am supposed to be upselling at work. If a person comes to my department in ragged clothing and I notice that their cash is slightly wrinkled, am I judging them by simply not upselling them? Yes. Even though (if they really do not have money) I am saving them the stress of dealing with the situation, I already judged in my mind that they would not want or be able to afford what I have to sell, because they can not afford it.

I think the whole "not judge others" theory basically means "treat others as you wish to be treated, think of others as you wish to be thought." But then, am I wrong for carrying pepper spray when I walk home at night? It is a sticky subject if you think far into it.

Answer 6

1 Corinthians 6:2,3
2 - "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"
3 - "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"

John 7:24
24 - "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Judging by appearance is something we all must shun whenever possible. If I do it, I usually catch myself with a reminder that that person may not be that way, then I simply observe their actions and what they say to see what they truly are.

The actions of people let you know exactly what and who they are. Also, hypocrites are another class of judgers that do the same things they stand against. The pharisees were guilty of hypocrecy.


Jesus spoke about the right judgment:

John 5:30
30 - "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every leader/judge should judge in a manner that upholds what they stand for or represent as far as policies and laws. For example, an arrest cannot be made on an individual unless the suspected offender demonstrates, or there is proof, that they are committing the crime which is contrary to laws established. Then a judgment call to action can be performed. Further, a person is innocent until proven guilty in any court of law... in the USA that is; therefore, judgment comes after examination.

Answer 7

You are absolutely right. We all do it. We even judge others by their avatar. People seem to think I'm a whole lot younger than I really am. No seriously, I work with many uneducated women and am often amazed at their wisdom and insight. Yet if one did not know them they would be thought of as no value to society.

Answer 8

We are visual...Within 20 seconds we form an opinion about someone based soley on appearance. It's unfortunate, but that's the way we were built. Often though that initial judgement will cange with more time getting to know someone, but we do judge in 20 seconds. PEACE!

Answer 9

It 's a natural thing to pre-judge and some of that is for self preservation. If you see a guy wearing a hood that covers his face and he is carrying a gun - run. No good will come of this character. If you see a little old lady tottering around with a cane, you are probably safe. People with similar habits stick together. Junkies stick with junkies and scholars stick with scholars. Everyone makes a statement with how they dress, speak and act. If I am pumping gas and some scruffy guy comes up to me and asks for a few bucks for gas, I tell him to beat it before I call the cops. If I were to take my purse out, he would probably grab it and run. Maybe he wouldn't but it is not worth the risk. We really don't have to love thy neighbor or enemy unless we have a death wish.

Answer 10

I think it's instinctual that we judge each other - our manner of speech, walk, dress, affiliations; the gamut. What's Jesus got to do with it? Even if he existed, what he may have said about judging others wasn't an earth-shaking revelation by any means. The village idiot could have come up with that.