I'd rather recognize the fact that you never know what battle someone is going through and how they cope with it. Some people's internal crap shows itself through pretty obvious external ways like obesity, being unkempt, addiction.
Other people's internal crap shows itself in more subtle ways: the need to be an awesome endurance athlete to prove you're awesome (seriously, Google "divorce by triathlon" and see if you still think those triathlete people are better than those obese people), the need for some to have flashy cars & homes to prove they're something, others who can't actually be authentically honest & hide themselves in goofy personalities.
We're all going through shit or have gone through shit or will go through shit. Taking the time to realize that mine also stinks helps me when all I want to do is overlook my own, come unhinged, and judge others. And it also helps me find a way to address my own and sympathize with others & do the little that I can to help make theirs a little better, even if it's just a smile.
So now instead I smile at a lot of people. It's amazing just how far a simple smile & a genuine "have a great day!" goes in getting past some of my snap thinking toward others. I'll save saying what's on my mind for when people are actually causing harm to someone else.
MLCRISES wrote:
In the grocery store line?
You know what I'm talking about here. Fat Ass in slippers and pajamas is buying frozen pizzas and a case of Coke. Judgement is written all over your face, but do you actually speak up and give this lazy good for nothing a public shaming.
I never have, but have been sooo close many times.