[JimGunther]

No, we never have all the information about anyone but we don't need to have it to compare something they have done to our concept of right and wrong and make a judgement about that particular action.

[purplewings]

We can then judge an action from our own point of view, but we can't judge why that person has chosen that action or if the results of that action may have some meaning. Therefore all we have is an opinion not a real judgment.

[JimGunther]

Of course making a judgement is an expression of our opinion and little more. We're not talking about imposing the death penalty on someone for their actions, we are discussing whether it is proper to form an opinion about the rightness or wrongness of a person's actions, and that is called making a judgement. Whether we know all the reasons for a person's actions or not, the judgement we make is still just an expression of our opinion.

[Katskan]

Judgment will never go away. It is a true test to yourself whether or not you can control negativity in your own world. I believe that it is simple to point fingers at others, but I also know that you should be careful of who you point your finger to because there are three other fingers pointing right back at you. Yes there is a "right" and a "wrong". We know that because that is the way the world works. Cause and effect, opposite's attract, up and down, left and right, etc. As far as what people do about it rely's on themselves. I know that resentment makes people angry and upset, and it's easy to tie your own resentments into your daily life routine. If you learn how to understand and maintain an open mind you will learn to change your thinking process into a much more peaceful way of looking at situations and life. It does require practice, forgiving and accepting. Also remember that forgiving doesn't mean you make "right" whatever was wrong...it just means you accept it and let go of that anger and sorrow that ate at you. As far as the bad situations that happen in the world still goes to say that things happen for a reason, and most of the time it's a reason to learn and continue to self seek yourself a stronger meaning and answer to what life is really all about. Holding on to hate and resentment will make you and angry and judgemental person. Letting go of the negative and past, and knowing that only so much is controllable in your own life with help eliminate judgements on other's. I think the more your at peace with yourself when you learn to do these things with your own life is what makes people less likely to judge.

[JimGunther]

People need to learn from "negative and past." Some of that stuff can be found in anger management course material, "accept it and let go of that anger and sorrow," for example. That's quite a stretch from the original concept-the suggestion that it is wrong to judge and that we should do it less of it.

Judging is simply observing behavior and then saying, to yourself or others, "that was a bad thing to do" or "that was a great thing to do." Seems harmless to me unless carried to the extreme.

But then, as I stated before, the whole argument about whether it is right or wrong to judge has a logical flaw in it. If you say judging is OK, you can present some arguments for you position and be logically consistent with your conclusion. If you say its wrong to judge, you can't be logically consistent because in saying its wrong to judge, you are passing a judgement.

[N0help4u]

The thing to ask yourself is are you judging the action or the person?
Judging from past experience is only natural so we don't fall into the same traps
I distinguish it more as wrongful judgment vs evaluating and discerning to explain the difference in good judgment and bad judgment.

[JimGunther]

We shouldn't judge a person without them having done something to base a judgement on, would be kind of like judging a book by its cover.

[Katskan]

I think what Nohelp4u said makes a lot of sense. There is a difference in evaluating a situation or action than there is to to evaluate and then take it a step further and decide what someone's character flaw's are or could be, and then say that it's good or bad to be that way.
That's sounded really wordy... but you get what I mean to say right?

[simoneaugie]

This is the essence of what the religionist says.

"We can do this [not judge] because the moment of the
Present is our only point of power given unto us."

The present moment is the only one we are ever in, therefore, all we may have learned in the past is moot.

"In order to change something for the better, we must
First understand what we want to change."

There is only us, being in the present moment. Judgement does not even exist. And it is up to the individual in that moment to make changes to herself.

We tend to think it to death. Life is so simple. If you believe that time is a construct and that God lives outside of time, the past is now and so is the future. Is our concept of time part of the "darkened glass?"

[CHSaint]

We often confuse acceptance with approval. Judgment is part of that "stinkin thinking". The issue is most do not know what unconditional love means, let alone practice it. It is being aware of our own thinking, our own thoughts, and correcting them the minute we deviate from love. Judgment shows only that the person judging needs to judge. Try and practice (and it gets stronger) not to take anything personal (Think "The Four Agreements"). Ego is a powerful tool to control but control the ego we can. Only you can adjust your thinking into one of positive and understanding of all. Then the approval of others is irrelevant.