By the Content of Their Character
How are you judging people these days?
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Racism is in the news.
To be clear, it is my view that racism and cultural-based prejudice should remain in the news … at least until our society evolves enough to wipe this scourge from our common psyche.
But by the same token, during my time as a global citizen (living in countries all over the world), it has also become apparent to me that millions of people on this Earth have already learned to rise above racism. The world is teeming with those who thrive in multi-cultural and immigrant-based nations; those who are not afflicted by insidious childhood patterning; those whose histories are unencumbered by the painful open wounds of slavery or apartheid.
But even for those of us who do not ascribe to the concept of race-related judgement, it is vital that we look to Dr. King’s words to ensure we, too, are living out the true intent of his dream; one of equality, tolerance, understanding and unity.
Because Dr. King was not just asking people to reject racism. He was inviting us all to judge others solely by the content of their character.
Prejudice is a sinister social evil, mostly because it slips into our minds and unconscious beliefs without opposition — often when we are very young. Even the most self-aware and enlightened human beings are under the influence of subtle judgments and barely-discernible biases. As much as many of us would love not to, we each have opinions of other people; preformed ideas and expectations that sit in our unconscious and flavor our instant and instinctive reactions toward others.
Skin color, culture and gender are obvious triggers for these reactions, but they are by no means the only ones.
Even careful people with good hearts can fall prey to prejudice. How often do you judge others because of their faith (or lack thereof)? Their political party? Their neighborhood? Their dress sense? Their accent? Their parenting style? Their lifestyle choices? Their wealth (or lack of)?
Creating a world without prejudice is a lofty and audacious idea. But we can each play a role in turning our society toward greater acceptance and tolerance if we take the time to catch and confront those moments when we personally allow prejudice to define our view of the world.
The responsibility falls on each of us.
What kind of society could we create if we each chose to judge others on their behavior, not their beliefs? If we chose to form our opinions, not on how much we agree with others, but by how they conduct themselves?
I truly believe we can move closer to Dr. King’s dream if we accept that good people — kind people, gentle people, honorable people — are to be found in every country, culture, faith, gender identity, neighborhood, political ideology … And if we acknowledge that, at the end of the day, not one of these factors defines an individual more than the content of their character.
Kim Forrester is an award-winning author, educator and intuitive consultant with over 15 years’ experience as a professional intuitive and spiritual teacher. She combines cutting edge science with traditional spirituality to offer the latest understandings of psi, consciousness and holistic well being.
