Self-judgment is the most insidious emotion of all and permeates the deepest recesses of the subconscious mind. It’s the conflict of comparing the life with that of another that sets in motion the self-judgement mechanism, often beginning with children struggling to measure up to the expectations of parents, teachers and peers. From self-judgment of the physical appearance in the mirror to the mental prowess of the mind, the person becomes a polarised reactionary being vulnerable to the emotional vacillations of the self.
What has happened in the aeons of humanity’s evolutionary past is the gradual separation from the unity of life. To compensate for the loss of this original sense of rightness, a mind-induced psychological prop replaced the spiritual integrity. This became known as conscience, which split the incoming light of the spirit to enable the mind to reflect and judge, not only the individual’s actions but those of others. In time human beings became morally bound to the notions of good and bad, and right and wrong. This became so ingrained as a way of life that people today are frequently held to ransom and manipulated by the hypocrisy of the world.
A man or woman will continue to judge others while they continue to judge themselves. It’s only after much work has been done to identify self-judgment in oneself that it can be eradicated for good. An example of the subtlety of self-judgment is when someone says, perhaps in a light-hearted manner, ‘I’m hopeless at that’ or ‘that’s really too deep for me to understand’. Such statements actually strengthen the self’s attachment to the emotion of unworthiness. The self becomes accustomed to making innumerable judgments, silent or otherwise, when in the company of others – and then ruminating on the past by replaying dialogues and scenes modified by the imagination. All negative symptoms of self-judgment.
To transcend self-judgement is to discover an authority answerable to no other outside of one’s own living reality. This is integrity, the integrated spiritual presence permeating every iota of the inner being. The person can never be responsible, for the ground of every person consists of fragments of past experience of emotional pain. In desperation and lacking in inner wisdom, the person often attempts to take responsibility for others by providing money and support. The virtue of this is undeniable when it’s an action of selfless service and not done out of duty to appease the weight of a heavy conscience, which is often the case.
For human beings, probably the biggest dread after the fear of death is what others might say or think about them. On the outside some people may appear immune to criticism and personal accusations, but within are afflicted with self-judgment. Only in the surrender of self-judgment can an individual be creatively fulfilled through giving up the terrible strain of supporting the false body of self. Just what this entails can only be approached by someone who is prepared to be responsible, not in the eyes of the world but to their own integrity. To be responsible is a great rarity on earth. In a world without love, being responsible is unpopular and likely to be seen as threatening instead of the mark of true individuality.
When an individual is truly responsible they cannot judge themselves, blame another or external events for the difficulties in the life. This dissolves or annihilates self-doubt caused by judgment of what may or may not have happened in the past. It’s to make a stand for love and truth through accepting life as it appears at any time. A remarkable thing then happens. In taking responsibility in this way, the events and circumstances are then able to unfold to provide a solution to any disruptive or problem areas of the life.
Lance Kelly
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