Withholding Judgment Can Be the Kindest Choice

Reflection of the Week: Seeing something does not mean that you know it. - Tsonga proverb

Many times, miscommunication occurs when we react to what we incorrectly perceive someone said, irregardless of their intention. If we don't ask questions to clarify, we may find ourselves in a negative predicament that could have been avoided.

The same thing goes for seeing something.

Let's use, for example, a mother scolding her child in a store. To assume we know enough to judge her could limit our ability to feel compassion for the circumstance. Maybe the child had been acting out all week and the mother finally put her foot down today. Maybe the mother was struggling with the anniversary of her husband's death and found herself on edge; apologizing to the child upon leaving the store for her outburst.

Regardless of what we thought we saw or thought we heard, we don't truly know what happened. Therefore, taking time to understand or simply withholding judgment, can be the kindest choice.

This week, let's reflect on a time when we may have jumped to conclusions. How did the situation pan out? Did you end up feeling like a jerk? Have you taken steps to prevent it from happening again?

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