How do I stop being judgemental?

As cheesy and outdated as it is, 'treat others as you wish to be treated' really is a fabulous saying. Would you want people to be judgemental of you before they really knew you? Probably not. Would you want them to judge you on your appearance before they've even heard you speak? No. So put yourself in their shoes. Everyone is trying their best, and everyone wants to be liked. It is hard to do this when you are judging them. Be kind, caring to others and you will get the same in return. If you find yourself becoming judgemental just remind yourself 'hey, I wouldn't want people judging me like this' give that person a chance, they may just be the coolest person you've ever met.

It is one of the things we do all the time without being aware of it most of the time. However, one should always understand that every person has his or her own past and experiences. There is most certainly a reason that that person didn't say hello to you at the pub or didn't want to go to the movies. Once you start being empathetic to the little things in other people's lifes, you will become less judgemental. At least that'w my experience.

Firstly, realize that people are people and that we all have our own unique knacks. We all wish for something and have learned to deal with situations differently. There is no perfect model for a perfect life and we all try to make the best of a situation with resources available. Secondly, there's always more to what meets the eye and so don't be such a harsh judge, Thirdly, we all make mistakes and so have you. And none of us wishes to be judged by our flaws or mistakes, but rather be judged by our best traits.

Perhaps it might help for you to relate to their feelings and try to understand where they are coming from. If you really think about it, we're not that much different from everyone else. As humans, we may feel the same types of emotions, and have similar needs (e.g. affection, attention).

It's human nature to judge people from the get go, which is unfortunate but you shouldn't feel guilty about it. You can practice being non-judgemental by being aware of yourself. When interacting with others, try to practice mindfulness and empathy. If you notice yourself feeling negative about someone, just gently remind yourself that people are complex, and that any one action or trait they display doesn't define their overall character. Maybe try to think of some reasons why you might act the same way under certain circumstances. For example, maybe someone was rude or impatient because they've just had a break up or lost their job! It's also important to remind yourself that there isn't really a right way to be. Your own moral coding won't align with my moral coding and that's okay: you can't expect people not to be themselves. Once you accept that people won't often meet all your expectations, you can let go of those expectations, and view people complexly with an open mind, so that when you do make a judgement, it will not be so black and white.

You accept people for who they are. They aren't going to be like you or how you want them to be, and you just need to accept them for that. You need to know that not everyone will be the way you want them to be and you can't change them and you can determine if you want them in your life or not, but learn to understand and accept them as who they are.

Try to put myself in the other person's shoes, and remember that differences between people make their experiences of the world different. There is no universal "right" experience.

Ask yourself why you feel the need to assign a value to something you have observed in another person. Ask yourself, "is this a fair evaluation to place upon this person? Is there an understandable reason why they may be doing this or that?" Challenge your own ability to empathize.

Every single time you mentally pass a comment about someone, stop and ask yourself why it should matter. And try putting yourself in their shoes. Immediately think "If I had that same 'problem', would the people who love me right now stop loving me? Would anyone I care about hate me for that particular reason?" If your answer is No, then whatever you thought was completely unnecessary. And you /should/ feel a little silly. And if you make this a practice, there's a good chance you'll be a lot less judgemental soon.

I found that looking for the good in someone after thinking something bad about them helped me to see the good first.