On Being Judgmental

I've been thinking recently that some of my social anxieties may stem from my Catholic upbringing.  Because WHAT, brothers and sisters, does the Good Book tell us about judgment?  I AM NOT TALKIN' 'bout the DAY of Judgment, when all the souls of the good and the wicked will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ.  No, my brothers 'n' sisters, I am talkin' 'bout the VERSE in the BI-ble that tells us, "JUDGE NOT!




"Judge not.




"LEST.  YE.  BE.  JUDGED!"

I realize that wasn't at all like a Catholic homily, but that sermon was a lot less impressive when uttered in the two-tone, droning mumble of Father Butters that floated over the nodding heads of his sleepy flock: AndtheLordsaidJudgenotlestyebejuuuudged.  


But back to my original point.  I judge people like it's my job, often with the help of my good friend S.  Of course it's good-natured - most of the time - but I think this notion of the reciprocal nature of judgment is still etched onto my mind.  If I am judging other people, then clearly somebody, somewhere, must be judging me.  Eye for an eye, fair's fair, and all that.  So, for every clingy couple or outrageously-dressed person I make snide, under-the-breath comments about, Somebody Somewhere must be snickering to her friends about that one Tracy girl who is really dumb and ugly and thinks she's funny but she's totally not and who also can't do anything good.  It's just a fact of the cosmos.  Probably.

No wonder I'm always worried about what people think of me.  It isn't due to a narcissistic, egotistical obsession based in irrational thought processes; it's just Catholicism!  I can now blame religion for even more of my life's problems.

Technically, it should work the other way, too: the more I feel people judging me and the stupid things I do, the more I can feel free to go ahead and judge them in return!

What a great day.



Image via Read the Spirit.