I am male, does that make me a bad person? (In some people’s minds, yes.) I am white, does that make me a bad person? (In some people’s minds, yes.) If I were to follow a particular faith,would that make me a bad person? (In some people’s minds, yes.) The list is endless.
The mind’s brilliant ability to categorise people and things in an instant has obvious benefits for our survival. But there’s a downside, and that causes so many problems, so it’s worth examining the habit from time to time.
Premature conclusions, harsh judgements and untested assumptions are at the heart of much human misery. This ‘quick and dirty’ habits don’t just cause problems between people, but also within people. You and me, for instance.
Depression, for example, can be triggered by many things, but it is largely maintained by the rubbish thinking styles that it brainwashes us with. That’s why, when you are depressed, you actually come to believe that you are stuck with it. The knock-on effect is that many people won’t seek help (why go for help if nothing can help?).
The same faulty logic causes all sorts of problems, in all areas of our lives. The real villain, in many cases, is not that which we instantly judge it to be, but that which we fail to judge dispassionately.
That’s all for today. It’s enough for a lifetime, but, sadly, it’s also enough for some people to lose theirs.
