I bet that when it comes to most subjects, you are quite clear as to what you like and what you don’t like. You may even take pride in your strong opinions. The purpose of this article is to challenge you to look at your likes and dislikes in a new way, and to see that by interacting with things in a judgmental way, you may not always be acting in your best interests. I will propose to you that you can look at things in a different way, and that way can possibly improve your quality of life.

When I use the term ‘judgmental’, I mean a specific thing. I mean that you decide that something is either good or bad, that you either like it or dislike it. By choosing one of the polar opposites, you are making a ‘judgment’ about that thing, person, event or situation. Most people are inclined to stick with a judgment, once it is made. Their attachment to ‘being right’ reinforces their initial judgment, as they don’t want to appear to vacillate. Whole articles could be dedicated to why this can be counterproductive, but for now, it is enough to say that in our culture, one is more highly regarded for sticking with an opinion than for changing it. One is more highly regarded for having an opinion than for not having one. Therefore, in our culture things are weighted in favor of being judgmental.

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