JUDGES AND JUDGMENTS
An old friend of mine who was a bit simple used to say "You must not be judgemental in this place, you can only be mental". Nowadays we hear a great deal about the dangers of being judgemental and the dire effects it can have on people, especially on children.
But don't we all spend much of our time actually judging people, events and things. Many popular TV shows are based on making judgements - Judge Judy, Britain's Got Talent, Dragons' Den, Dancing With the Stars, The Antiques Roadshow. Betting shops are full each day of people making judgements. Our Dept. of Education decides the mental capacity of teenagers on the basis of final examination results.
This obsession with judging seems to go side by side with the modern stress on toleration and acceptance. We consider ourselves to be a nonjudgemental and open-minded people, who would never lower another person's self-esteem.
The greatest villains in all this scenario are, of course, God (the Supreme Judge) and his hencemen, the harsh, cruel, manipulative, domineering and demanding Catholic Church! Especially in the matters of sex and lifestyle.
But, deep down, we know that judement is indispensable to the development of a healthy person and a properly functioning society. Simon Cowell can tell terrible singers that they are terrible. His honest judgements may be met with tears, and angry words, but more often than not, he is right and may actually be to the benefit of the performer.
But don't we all spend much of our time actually judging people, events and things. Many popular TV shows are based on making judgements - Judge Judy, Britain's Got Talent, Dragons' Den, Dancing With the Stars, The Antiques Roadshow. Betting shops are full each day of people making judgements. Our Dept. of Education decides the mental capacity of teenagers on the basis of final examination results.
This obsession with judging seems to go side by side with the modern stress on toleration and acceptance. We consider ourselves to be a nonjudgemental and open-minded people, who would never lower another person's self-esteem.
The greatest villains in all this scenario are, of course, God (the Supreme Judge) and his hencemen, the harsh, cruel, manipulative, domineering and demanding Catholic Church! Especially in the matters of sex and lifestyle.
But, deep down, we know that judement is indispensable to the development of a healthy person and a properly functioning society. Simon Cowell can tell terrible singers that they are terrible. His honest judgements may be met with tears, and angry words, but more often than not, he is right and may actually be to the benefit of the performer.