Judgment

We, humans, were designed to make judgment calls - it is what kept our early hominid cousins alive. On the plains of Africa thousands of years ago, anything that appeared different was potentially life-threatening.

In our modern world, that instinct has little practical use. So, instead of saving our lives - our judgments about anything that does not fit our worldview are given derogatory labels to separate 'us' from 'them' - to artificially create the 'other.' Because when someone becomes your enemy, it is OK to hurt (hate) them.

As Illinois Governor JB Pritzker famously said during his Northwestern University commencement speech, "Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being. They require the mental capacity to step past our most primal urges."

We no longer need our base instincts of distrust to keep us safe. Humans have advanced, and if our species is going to survive beyond the next hundred years - we need to lead with compassion - it absolutely is the only way forward.

As JB Pritzker said, "The kindest person in the room is often the smartest."

Leading with openness, love, and acceptance is not a weakness - but full-on strength and brilliance.

I would also say that anyone who can't be kind or find compassion within themselves - their judgments are on them and them alone - not the responsibility of the person or group they are denigrating and certainly not of wider society. No one needs to apologize for who they are because someone is critical of something about them - that they likely can't change anyway (skin color, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurological makeup, etc.).

Go - rock your individuality with a quiet humility & confidence that can only inspire those around you.

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