Irony

Apparently, I'm judgmental.


My response to this assertion is...yes. And?


This epithet is flung about by Christians and non-Christians alike, I suspect because of the famous exhortation of Jesus to "judge not, that ye be not judged."  (Matthew 7:1). There's also the whole "mote" in the eye analogy and "he who is without sin, cast the first stone." (John 8: 1-11).


Yes, it's in the bible, so people take not judging verrrrrry seriously. (Which is so ironic on so many levels....)


What they don't seem to grasp, conveniently, is the actual message of these stories. Oh, and they leave out some information as well. But let's back up.


The harsh and simple fact is we are hard-wired to judge. It's in our biology and our chemistry. It is part of our high-level cognitive processes and, conversely, part of our most primitive cognitive instincts.


Thanks to new findings in Neuroscience, brain function "in action" can be monitored through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), particularly when an individual makes a decision concerning responsibility and punishment. 


What researchers found was that presented with a crime perpetrated by a criminal, subjects were able to assign the level of responsibility to the fictitious criminal based on the presence--or lack, of extenuating circumstances. The interesting part of this research is that while the criminal had two sets of circumstances, one with circumstances mitigating his responsibility, and one without, the participants in the study were able to assess the criminal's level of responsibility based on the variables, while holding constant the crime itself. 

"Buckholtz and colleagues found a peak of activation in the right doroslateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC), a brain region on the top surface of the right frontal lobe that is known to be involved in high-level cognitive processes such as reasoning and decision-making. In addition, this same region was more active when subjects thought a diminished-responsibility crime deserved punishment compared with when it did not." Scientific American


What this means is, we are instilled with the function to judge and we use it on a day-by-day, minute-by-minute basis.


Between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, we are constantly judging our current situation. Are we safe? Are we comfortable? Are we in danger? Are we alert? Are we under attack? Are we calm?  These systems alert the Amygdala, which attaches emotional significance to the information received and mediates both aggressive or defensive behaviors.

So why, oh, why would the big JC tell us not to judge if we were made to judge (oh that's a whole 'nother can 'o worms, there, eh?) And why would he say it if he himself continually made judgments? 


The answer lies in the scriptures themselves, believe it or not. Those parts people tend to "conveniently" forget.


The complete text:


"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged  and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7: 1-5)


My take on this is if you judge with hatred, bigotry, malice and apathy, this is how you will ultimately be judged in the hereafter. If you judge using extremes, exaggerations and ignoble means, this will be your measure. But if you judge with fairness and compassion, this will be your standard when your time comes to be judged.




"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye ? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye  and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye ."




This scripture clearly refers not to the fallacy that one must be perfect in order to judge, but rather it is hypocritical to point out the sins of others while, by pretense, thinking ourselves above them and not culpable in any wrong doing. It means that there are sins in our lives just as grievous as another's, but when we do nothing about them and refuse to "look" at our own faults, we are hypocrites.


It then goes on to say that you must remove the plank from your own eye, in other words, work on yourself, improve yourself and become aware of your imperfections, and THEN you will see clearly to help another with their struggles. 

If you're going to fling the term "you're judgmental" about as an insult, please, oh please be aware of the irony that:


First, in ascertaining that a person is judgmental, you yourself are being judgmental, the very thing you eschew. 


Second, take into consideration how you perceive the person judges you.  With malice? With apathy? Or with compassion, love and the desire to help?


As for me, I will continue to hack away at the planks in my eyes so that I may see clearly. I will continue to employ compassion and understanding. I will continue to call it like I see it, and I will most assuredly continue to speak my mind.


Am I judgmental? Yep. And so are you. Use it wisely.




Chowder