Quick to judge

I hate that I am quick to judge. When I meet someone for the first time I instantly judge them and I instantly decided whether they are someone I could get a long with or not. If I didn’t get a good impression of you when I first met you chances are I won’t like you. People who have known me for a while like to say this about me: “The people you don’t like at first you end up loving and the people you like at first you end up hating.”

I don’t give people a chance. I just automatically judge them. I knew all this about myself on the surface. I knew that I judged people but I never really knew how much I did it and I don’t like it.

Being in school I see a lot of different people. There are a few I don’t like and a few that I do like. But what makes me not like someone?

Is it because the dress a certain way?
Is it because they say something I don’t agree with?
Is it because they believe something different then I do?
Is it because I think that I am better than them?
Is it because I feel like I have a purpose compared to them?

All that’s judging and I bet I do it more times a day then I want to admit.

There is this kid in my class who dresses punkish. He always comes in to class late (if he comes) but the thing is he knows a lot. He knows more than me at least. I’m not saying that he knows everything. But sitting in class he can have a conversation with the professor about anything because he knows stuff. But I would have never have thought he knew that much just by walking by him in the hall. I took one look at him and thought that he knew nothing because of how he looked. I had never said anything to him and I thought he was dumb.

When I met one of my room mates for the first time I thought he was so weird. He looked weird to me. He was weird at that time to me. He came in grabbed a bowl of cereal went upstairs and then left. What was I supposed to think? But I never tried to get to know him at that time. I judge him right away because I honestly thought I was better than him. And I couldn’t believe that I was moving in with a weird guy. But people always prove me wrong. Turns out he isn’t weird…well sometimes. ;)

I don’t know how to stop judging people…it just feels like a habit (and that’s not an excuse) but I know that I want to get better. I don’t want people to judge me so I guess I should start by not judging other people…