A Case For Being Judgmental.

        Have you ever heard someone say "far be it for me to judge"? Or "who am I to judge"? Or even "it's not good to judge"? I have. I hear it all the damn time. The last thing anyone wants is to be seen as is judgmental. So these sayings are pulled out on a regular basis in case there's any chance that that might happen.  They sound reasonable enough. No one ever wants to hurt someone else's feelings, right? And who among us has never done something that we are not proud of? I get it. It started out as a way of saying, "it's okay, nobody's perfect". A nice way to comfort someone whose made a mistake that anyone could have made.  But here's the problem. It has morphed into an unholy, get out of jail free card. A card that is pulled out and shoved in the face of anyone who has the nerve to point out others, who are not living up to the standards of a civilized society. Because, for some reason, being judgmental has become a cardinal sin. So people have become truely afraid that it could be used on them. 

       But, the truth is that being judgmental is not only normal ( you do it countless times a day, whether you want to admit it or not ), but it's good. In fact, it's great. It's one of human kind's greatest super powers. Did I lose you at super powers? I'm not talking about seeing through walls or leaping tall buildings. I am talking about the single most important ability we have. The skill that enabled humankind to evolve into the most successful being to ever walk this earth. Being a Judgy McJudgerson. 

      With that said, we all need to embrace our inner Mr. or Ms. McJudgerson. So this is a call to every person who has been a closet judger. Thinking all the time how badly you want to shut those snotty kids up because their parents are not willing (or too stupid) to do so. How every other woman you see should be asked if, and how much, she charges by the hour. That if you see one more man's butt crack, you should be given an honorary doctorate in proctology. And I could write a novel on all the swearing I hear! But, who are you to judge? You ask yourself, almost involentarily.  A person living in this world, that's who! You have a right to voice your disgust with the direction of the overall behavior in today's America. There was a time when it was known that there could be a total societal shunning for those who couldn't seem to get their crap together. The mere threat used to do the job for most people. And for the ones that it didn't? The consequences were often swift and lasting. For a very long time, this social pressure was a powerful behavioral guide. The standards were clear, and people new what was expected of them. But now, the threat is no longer enough. Regular people are unwilling to risk being labled as judgmental jerks. The result?  It's Thunderdome out there. 

      I tried to be a nice person. You know, go along to get along. And I'm sure that many of you have done the same thing. I wouldn't want to cause a scene after all. It's wouldn't be worth it. Or at least that's what I used to think. But the balance has shifted. The polite, thoughtful people of this country are being outnumbered by those who are being allowed to float through life as mindless imbeciles. Selfish jackasses that seem to never have heard the word NO. Which brings we to who's at fault. I don't really like the word fault here, because these vacuous morons are clearly making their own choices. But the truth is, it's us. Damn it, it is us! We are the Dr. Frankensteins, and these masses of human garbage are our monstrous creations. We have raised a generation of people who never give a thought as to how their behavior is affecting others. And when they are confronted, do they realize their mistakes and apologize? What do you think? Like bratty little children, they demand to know who they Hell YOU are? How dare YOU question these precious little dew drops right to be as revolting a display of sub-humanity as they wish? So they rule by fear.  As the overwhelmed mother gives the screaming child a cookie just to shut them up, we too choose the path of least resistance. We get angry, we grit our teeth, then we look the other way and we walk off. 

      But no more. As the creators of this mess, we too must except the task to cleaning it up. We must reset our brains back to what is right. Judgment is healthy and good. Repeat that to yourselves a few time so it really sticks.  It is not us who are wrong for having judgments. It is those who do so many things that deserve to be judged, who are in the wrong.  Teach your children not to fear the judgments they feel bubbling up inside themselves. Those are ofton warnings that should be listened too.  Be examples of what is moral and good, and point out to them these dregs of humanity, so that they will know how NOT to be. Say what needs to be said, so that people will ( some, for the first time ) hear what they have so desperately needed to hear.  It is not untrue to say, you are part of the solution or you are part of the problem.  I for one, will be part of the solution. 

VOH

As a side note, there are actual crazy people out there. So when speaking the truth, use good judgment. See what I did there?