MEDITATION

The Spiritual Wisdom of Empathy: Why We Can’t Judge and Must Choose Compassion

Choosing curiosity over assumptions opens the door to connection and love

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We all judge.

I used to think that I didn’t, but boy, was I wrong. We think we see the whole picture of someone’s life and form opinions based on fragments that are shared with us. Remember that as you read.

Maybe it’s a glance, a rumor, an online post (the worst!), or a single moment taken out of context. Someone recently taught me a valuable phrase, Be careful of the stories you tell yourself.

Those stories can be dangerous and harmful because we put our judgment hat on instead of the compassion hat.

Here’s a question: What if what we’re seeing is only a small corner of another person’s reality?

Here’s the invitation: why not flip that on its head? Instead of jumping to conclusions or judging someone, why not ask an open-ended question first? The power to listen with loving ears and heart can be powerful.

This is where empathy is very handy and a more compassionate way to view others. Stepping into empathy means releasing the burden of judgment and holding space for mystery, complexity, and…