Everyone is a little bit self-obsessed.
We dig deep to find similarities with others.
We see reflections, blurry reflections of ourselves in others.
When we judge others, we're judging reflections of ourselves.
Judging others hurts you more than anyone.
There are times where I find myself dismissing people who think "too small". I say to myself I could do a better job and scale bigger. Little do I realize this judgment hurts me more than anyone.
I conjure grand visions for changing the world... But then... I can't start small. I have to go big. If I start small, I'd be dismissing myself as "too small".
My ego stops me before I even start.
My friend told me about his mental model to reduce judgement:
- Notice when you're judging someone.
- Be empathetic. You may not know their full story. There's always a reason people are the way they are and act the way they do.
Judgment and stereotypes are your brain's shortcut to understanding other people. They allow you to skip the full story. There's a reason they exist, but they're just the lined paper. You need to write the words between the lines.
Start small and build momentum.
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