3 Reasons Why Being Overly Judgmental Hurts You More Than Anyone Else
We all can be judgmental — there's no doubt about this.
It's hard not to talk about how someone from your high school got arrested, or how your ex-BFF secretly got married in Vegas and then quickly divorced over the summer.
Humans love a good scandal. Naturally, we judge people who do outrageous things -- that's just life.
However, some people tend to be more judgmental than others and that's when problems can arise.
I'm talking about the kind of person who is ready to judge anything and everything before hearing the full story. You know, the type of individual who can turn someone's amazing accomplishment into a negative situation.
For example, when they hear a fellow classmate traveled abroad, got engaged or was offered a dream job, they say, "Wow, is that really what they want to do with their lives? Kind of boring."
This kind of attitude is not only toxic to outsiders, but it also comes from an insecure and hateful place within.
On the surface, it may appear that being super judgmental about other people's lives and decisions means the judger is confident, there is usually something much deeper going on.
It's natural to judge other people, but it's not normal or productive to scrutinize someone's tiny moves or decisions, especially when other people are content with their choices.
Being overly judgmental will only result in you holding yourself back and missing out on greater opportunities.
Consider the following effects of being too judgmental:
1. People Will Think Twice About Befriending You
You may appear as though you are the Queen B and more confident than Kanye West, but outsiders are frightened of you — whether they admit it or not.
Your ease in making light situations seem dark or making a friend's successes into mediocre accomplishments makes people want to distance themselves from you.
Your friends may laugh at the snarky comments you make, but most likely, they fear they will some day be on the receiving end of the comments.
People who are just meeting you for the first time may think twice about moving forward in getting to know you. You may think your honesty is funny, but to many, you likely just seem mean.
You end up missing out on opportunities to establish new connections, form new friendships and meet cool, genuine people.
No matter how "real" you claim you are, there's a difference between being honest and being an assh*le
2. You Will Lower Your Own Confidence
We've all heard that the classic sign of someone who doesn't feel good about him or herself is the person who tears other people down, and this holds true.
Extremely judgmental people rip down others because doing so temporarily boosts their egos — emphasis on the word "temporary." After the fact, you feel pretty badly about how you behaved, even if you never openly admit it.
Making other human beings feel badly is not beneficial and getting you absolutely nowhere. You usually end up feeling even worse than you did before.
Now, not only are you insecure, but you're also conscious of the idea that you're not very kind, and this maximizes your already-present insecurities.
3. You Will Limit Yourself
When you're judging everything around you, you're also limiting yourself in the experiences to which you're exposed.
How can you possibly ever branch out or try something new when you're busy criticizing everything the world has to offer?
Being this judgmental triggers the mindset that you "know everything," even if you don't.
Once you believe you're Yoda in a human body, you become completely closed-minded. You begin to deem everything you didn't suggest as lame or uncool, simply because it wasn't your idea first.
Humans will consistently continue to criticize others, but it's important to recognize the line between being constructive and being flat-out nasty.
Making harsh and overarching judgments leads to a great deal of unhappiness and missed opportunities for yourself.
Ultimately, it is you who will stumble and fall while the people you tried to tear down will walk away unscathed.
