Judgment refers to your thoughts about situations, things, and people. In most cases, when you judge something, you are classifying it as good or bad, right or wrong.
When you judge something, you should know that your opinions are your biases and are open to subjective interpretations. Allowing judgments to run wild can create unnecessary distance between you and someone else.
Although everyone is entitled to their opinions, there is a clear difference between having an opinion and being judgmental. Opinions are just that – your thoughts about something. To judge means to believe someone or something is good or bad with very little room for gray area.
Make sure you pay attention to how you think about things. It’ll allow you to identify when you are being too judgmental towards others.
The Benefits of Being Open-Minded
If you allow yourself to be more open-minded, you will experience great benefits. One of the many benefits of being open-minded is that you will start to feel a deeper connection with the people in your life.
You will start to realize that when you open your mind to understand people that may think differently than you, you actually understand them more.
Allowing your mind to be open will enable you to feel empathy towards others and allow you to understand their journey through life is different than yours.
Read Also: How to Stop Doubting Yourself 9 Techniques You Need
How to Be Less Judgmental and More Open-Minded – 7 Ways
1. Know Your Biases
The first step to being less judgmental and more open-minded is to identify your biases. We all are biased about something.
Whether it is something you grew up around or believe in as a society, your biases can make you judge someone without knowing all the facts.
To help you notice your biases, you’ll want to start by examining your thoughts.
Ask yourself what you think when you meet a person or hear about a specific situation. Do you automatically assume things about that person? By knowing the thoughts that rush to your mind when you meet someone, you’ll start to recognize your biases.
Read Also: 8 Smart Ways to Deal with Judgmental People
2. Practice Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand what someone else is feeling. An important step to being more open-minded is learning how to understand others.
You can practice empathy by allowing yourself to step into someone else’s shoes. When you take the time to try and view life from their perspective, you will form a deeper connection with that person, and you’ll understand their life story.
One way to practice empathy is to learn how to become a good listener. When someone is talking to you, give them your undivided attention.
Don’t think about what you are going to say next; make eye contact with the person, nod, and say things like, “I see,” or “that’s crazy.” Let that person finish their thought so you can understand how they feel.
Do not interrupt the person while they are speaking to you. By doing this, you are not allowing them to get their full thoughts out, which can hinder you from truly understanding their point of view.
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3. Learn How to Listen
Learning how to be a good listener is another key technique that will allow you to be less judgmental and open your mind. When you listen to someone, you allow yourself to understand their point of view without judgment.
To be a good listener, you’ll want to ensure that you do not multi-task when someone is talking to you.
If you’re on your phone or thinking about what you have to do later that day, you’re not going to understand the person you’re talking to. Make sure you give the person your full attention when they are talking to you.
As mentioned earlier, maintain eye contact and don’t interrupt the person.
Ask questions that require the person to give you a yes-or-no answer. You’ll want to ask questions that make the person think. Asking questions like, “How did you come to that conclusion?” shows the person that you care about their opinion and allows you to understand how they got there without judging them.
Read Also: How to Develop Active Listening Skills
4. Challenge Your Thoughts
The next time you catch yourself being judgmental, take a moment to step back and analyze what you are thinking. By catching yourself in the moment, you are already halfway there.
Once you realize you are judging someone or something, ask yourself where exactly your thoughts are coming from.
Maybe it’s your coworker deciding to take a year off and travel or your best friend deciding not to get married.
Once you recognize you are feeling judgmental, take a deep breath and give yourself time to rethink the situation.
Ask yourself why you feel the way you do about the situation. Are you thinking things that are true, or could be false? When you judge someone, your mind automatically jumps to conclusions based on your own biases and experiences.
Stay mindful of the thoughts you are telling yourself and challenge them. Remind yourself that everyone has a different story and life experience that shapes their decisions.
You may not understand why they would make that choice, but that’s okay.
5. Set An Intention To Be Open
One way you can prevent yourself from being judgmental and allow yourself to be more open-minded is by setting an intention every morning.
By setting an intention, you are starting your day off by telling yourself that you want to be open to new ideas.
Intending to be open doesn’t happen overnight; you have to be mindful when you’re going about your day-to-day.
As you are waking up each morning, tell yourself that you are going to listen more when people talk to you. You are going to be open to other people’s opinions even if they don’t match your beliefs.
Reminding yourself that not everyone is going to think like you is allowing yourself to have a purpose for the day, and that intention is to be more open-minded.
6. Surround Yourself with Different People
The best way to train yourself to be open-minded is by surrounding yourself with different people. There are so many different people in the world with different backgrounds and stories.
When you allow yourself to listen to other people’s life stories, you begin to open your mind and understand their way of life.
Try going out of your way to try new things that will allow you to meet new people, whether you decide to join a local group that focuses on diversity or volunteer at a local hospital.
Expose yourself to things that will allow you to meet and interact with people who may come from a different culture than you.
7. Reflect
As you allow yourself to be less judgmental and more open-minded, you should take time to reflect on your progress.
You want to think about your journey of becoming open-minded and how your thoughts have changed when you’re approached with a judgmental situation.
Decide to sit down for at least 2 minutes a week and reflect on your week. Have you been more open-minded this week? How have your relationships changed because you are no longer judging everyone around you?
By actively thinking about your journey, you will start to notice how far you’ve come. Maybe you found yourself judging your favorite TV show or something that someone said to you.
Think about what made you feel that way and how you could react differently next time you are in that situation.
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