Dear Reader,

You judge a book by its cover. Even if you say you don’t, you do. It’s a natural instinct people have, especially when it comes to other people. You form an opinion about someone before you even talk to them. It can be because of how they look, rumors you’ve heard about them, or that they do things a little bit differently then you. You probably don’t think twice about forming a cruel—untrue—version of that person in your mind.
But now think about it like this: other people judge you in the same way. They criticize you on the same things, and form an image of you in their mind that you wouldn’t like.

Most people don’t even try to figure out the truth. No one thinks that their false opinions could harm someone else. Or if they do, they laugh about it. Maybe you’re someone who laughs along with everyone else.
Imagine if you were the one being laughed at. The one being humiliated. The one being embarrassed in front of a lot of people, all because of something that’s not true. How would that make you feel? How do you think other people feel? Everyone has feelings. Everyone can get hurt. False judgment can scar someone more then you may realize. Or maybe this has happened to you, and so you already know.

Why do we even judge others? What’s the benefit? The answer is simple: there isn’t one. Maybe instead of making opinions or assumptions about someone because they did something you considered weird, you should try to understand them. Talk to them. There’s a lot more to everyone than what they show you. There’s also a lot more to you than others can see. Judging anyone based on a few things isn’t fair. So next time just go and say hi.

Your friend,
Kiley J.