Judging 101

Judging is no more than an advanced state of 'pattern recognition' -- a chicken recognizes the 'pattern' -- the shape -- of the hawk soaring overhead, for good reason, for self preservation. And so it goes all throughout the animal kingdom, we recognize patterns -- our lives depend upon it. When socialization developed in human evolution, this pattern recognition also developed, for better or worse. One had to determine (judge) immediately if a stranger was friend or foe. Your life depended upon it. But as we have become more highly socialized, this pattern recognition has become a two-edged sword. And for some lucky folks, they have evolved beyond the need to 'judge' (so long as they live in a non life-threatening environment). But for the vast majority of us, we are stuck being judges. So the question becomes, how can we continue to use this instinctive ability for good, and not for bad?