I recently read The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown. In the book, Brown made a very interesting point about scorn, contempt, and judgmentalism.
Over the last ten years or so, I’ve made a determined effort to avoid scorn/contempt/judgmentalism, especially toward people I know. This ties into several of my rules to live by. “Anger and hate hurt yourself far more than the target of your anger and hate.” “People can be wrong without being evil or stupid.” “It’s okay for different people to have different beliefs.” “Most people are generally good and decent.” “Don’t attack or blame people.” It also ties into some of the Things I Wish I Knew: “Don’t be spiteful.” “You suffer from the same flaws as everyone else.” “It’s always better to be polite and friendly.”
The reasons I’ve tried to avoid scorn have generally been outward looking, based on my relationships with other people.… Read more