Don't judge me!

"We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions."

- Ian Percy

Is that really true?

Bad behavior is judged critically, but what if there was a good intention behind that behavior? For example, you punch someone, because they were picking on your little brother. But everyone just witnessed you punch the offender without knowing the full story. Is that really fair? [Holy Cow, that was an awful example!!!]

Could that go the other way around? Good behavior with a bad intention; say someone did an act of service for a selfish and prideful intention. How would we all know that their intention was selfish?

Does this make it all okay to judge people? Even if we were to judge solely on their intentions? I'm not saying it's ok to punch someone in defense or that it's okay to get what you want for selfish reasons. I'm simply asking questions.

"But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter."

[D&C 10:37]

Let Each Man Learn to Know Himself

[Hymn No.90]

“Let each man learn to know himself;
To gain that knowledge let him labor,
Improve those failings in himself
Which he condemns so in his neighbor.
How lenient our own faults we view,
And conscience’s voice adeptly smother;
Yet, oh, how harshly we review
The selfsame failings in another! …
So first improve yourself today
And then improve your friends tomorrow.”

"It is not possible to judge another fairly unless you know his desires, his faith, and his goals." [N. Eldon Taylor]

I am human. I am very good at being critical and judgemental. But I am trying not to be. I've been trying to make a more effort to look at people differently without judging them. I wouldn't like it if people judged me solely on my actions. I'm not perfect, but I usually have good intentions.

"We are too prone to listen to, accept, and repeat such adverse criticism, such maliciously spoken or printed words, without stopping to realize the harm we may be doing to some noble person; and, as is done so often, we excuse and justify ourselves by saying, “Well, where there is so much smoke, there must be some fire,” whereas in reality we are adding to the smoke, when the fire referred to may be only the fire of malice started by some envious person."

[N. Eldon Taylor]

This puts into words, how I feel. I never stop to think about the person I'm critizing. I can stop though. Just like the phrase, "think before you speak," I CAN/WILL think before I speak. I can't fully love someone, if I judge them. I always feel so guilty when I critize someone and then learn their story. I apologize to anyone that I have misjudged or criticized. (Not that you would know if I had judged you.) I am working on it!

***Authors note: I didn't post this just to say sorry to anyone. I just came across the first quote in this post and it made me think.***