The renowned American author and motivational speaker Wayne Dyer said: “When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” And I couldn’t agree more.
You see, judging others is a habit we are all guilty of. We know it’s wrong and awful, and yet, despite our best efforts, we can’t break ourselves of it.
We judge and criticize other people on the basis of many things: the way they dress, talk, or laugh, and, of course, the way they live their lives. So the big question is: Why do we feel the need to point the finger at others?
Is it because judging and criticizing those around us give us pleasure? Or is it because pointing out other people’s flaws and mistakes makes us feel better about ourselves? Or is it because we think that some people simply deserve to be judged?
Whatever the reason, when we judge and criticize others, we all do the same thing – projecting our own weaknesses, insecurities, mistakes, suffering, and pain onto those surrounding us.
So, in this article, we want to share with you 5 ways to deal with judgment and criticism positively.
Here they are:
1. Don’t take things personally.
Irrespective of the way you live your life – whether you have kids or you don’t; whether you have your own business or work for someone else; or whether you go to the gym every day or eat fast food and lay on the couch every night, there will always be those who will judge and criticize you for it.
Additionally, no matter how nice, kind, and compassionate toward others and successful you are, there will always be those who will try to find some flaw of yours and judge you for it.
However, you should never let other people’s negative comments and criticism about you get to you. What you need to understand is that people criticize and belittle others when they, in fact, have deep-rooted flaws in themselves. And when they don’t know how to deal with them, they project that bitterness, disappointment, and negativity onto those around them.
Therefore, you should never allow what others talk about you to make you lose your self-respect and your confidence in yourself.
2. Focus on the positive sides of others.
Instead of focusing on other people’s flaws, mistakes, and failures, focus on their positive sides, such as their virtues, accomplishments, and successes.
And if you’re the one that is being judged, don’t let other people’s hurtful words and negative comments about you undermine your confidence and make you feel bad about yourself. Instead, focus on your good qualities, skills, talents, and achievements. The more you focus on your positive aspects, the easier it’ll be for you to deal with criticism positively.
3. Learn how to observe yourself right.
Swami Kripalu, a renowned Indian teacher, writer, and master of yoga, said: “The highest spiritual practice is self-observation without judgment.” This means that instead of being your own worst critic and focusing only on your negative sides, you should release your negative self-beliefs.
What you need to realize is that by judging yourself and creating a negative self-image, you’re only holding yourself back, even more than anyone else can do this. Once you learn how to observe yourself right and focus on your positive sides more, you’ll create more room to love yourself and move past your flaws and insecurities.
4. Always remember that we’re all more alike than different.
When you want to judge and criticize someone, always remind yourself that the other person wants to be happy and live a life free of misery and pain just like you do. Remind yourself that the other person loves their family and friends and wants to be successful, just like you do.
And most importantly, remind yourself that the other person has weaknesses, insecurities, and fears and makes mistakes just like you do.
5. Cut judgmental people out of your life.
If you’ve tried all of the above-mentioned tips and you’re still a target of destructive criticism, it’s best to remove judgmental people from your life.
By distancing yourself completely from the naysayers in your life, you’ll prevent them from affecting your personal happiness, confidence, and self-growth. You need to take care of your overall well-being and live in a positive environment, and being surrounded by judgmental, negative people will only prevent you from doing that.
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
