How to Be Less Judgmental

Have you ever stopped to think about how many times a day you make judgments about people, situations, or events? It’s a common habit that we all engage in.

For instance, when we meet someone, we tend to judge how they look and make assumptions about their lifestyle. As we scroll through social media, we decide whether or not we like people’s outfits, scrutinize their hairstyles, scoff at their antics, and even judge what they’re eating for breakfast.

Being judgmental means looking at things through a lens of criticism, saysMeghan Marcum, PsyD, chief psychologist at AMFM Healthcare.

Judgment is acognitive abilitythat helps us assess people, situations, and relationships based on the sensory evidence available to us to come to conclusions and make decisions.While this is an important capability, it’s important for us to wield it carefully and not be overly critical of others.

This article explores the benefits of being more open-minded and suggests some ways to be less judgemental.

Characteristics of Judgmental People

Dr. Marcum lists some characteristics of judgmental people as compared to those who are more open-minded.

Judgmental PeopleAre overly criticalMake negative assumptions, without having all the factsSee the world through personal biasesLack empathyfor othersDevalue others in order to feel superiorSee others as opponents or competitorsAre often unhappyOpen-Minded PeopleAre understandingKeep an open mind and try to look for the best in people and situationsMaintain a fair and reasonable outlookHave empathy for othersDon’tcomparethemselves to othersHave healthy, supportive relationshipsAre more content

Are overly critical

Make negative assumptions, without having all the facts

See the world through personal biases

Lack empathyfor others

Devalue others in order to feel superior

See others as opponents or competitors

Are often unhappy

Open-Minded PeopleAre understandingKeep an open mind and try to look for the best in people and situationsMaintain a fair and reasonable outlookHave empathy for othersDon’tcomparethemselves to othersHave healthy, supportive relationshipsAre more content

Are understanding

Keep an open mind and try to look for the best in people and situations

Maintain a fair and reasonable outlook

Have empathy for others

Don’tcomparethemselves to others

Have healthy, supportive relationships

Are more content

Why Assuming the Best in People Benefits You

Benefits of Being Less Judgmental

Dr. Marcum discusses some of the benefits of being less judgmental:

Benefits of Positive Thinking for Body and Mind

6 Ways to Be Less Judgmental

Dr. Marcum shares some strategies that can help you beless judgmental.

Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

The first step to being less judgmental is to recognize that you’re doing it. Start paying more attention to your thoughts, so you can identify when you’re being judgmental.

Look for thoughts or phrases like:

Question Your Assumptions

If you have anegative viewof someone, ask yourself what it’s based on. Did you formulate your view based on facts? Do you have all the relevant information or do you need to inquire further about the situation?

Make an effort to explore all the possible sources of information before coming to aconclusion. If this isn’t possible, consider leaving your opinion neutral or open-ended.

Recognize Your Biases

Be aware of your own biases and cultural standards. Recognize that your own view of life is limited based on your own experiences.

Remember that other people with different cultural, social, professional, religious, or ethnic backgrounds may not share the same views. Try to put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective.

Be Empathetic

Practiceempathyand compassion for people, even if they look, think, dress, speak, or act differently than you do.

Think about how you have felt when someone formed an opinion of you that wasn’t accurate. Did you feel hurt, angry, upset, ashamed, embarrassed, or disappointed? Let those feelings guide you toward being more compassionate toward others.

Expand Your Horizons

Make an effort to expand your horizons and expose yourself to new ideas and perspectives. Meet new people and talk to them about their lives. Experiment with different activities and try new foods. Read lots of books and watch informative content. Travel as much as you are able to.

Practice Positivity

With practice, you can develop a more positive mindset. If you catch yourself thinking something negative about something or someone, challenge yourself to see something positive in the situation instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are some signs that can help indicate you’re a judgmental person:You have trouble seeing past others’ flaws.You generally think of people as being all good or all bad.You don’t like people who aren’t like you.You feel everyone is against you or out to get you.You think of others as opponents.

These are some signs that can help indicate you’re a judgmental person:

These are some strategies that can help you cope with someone who is judgmental:

A Word From Verywell

While all of us are guilty of being judgmental at some point or another, it’s a bad habit that can breed negativity. Being moreopen-mindedcan help us widen our horizons, gain new perspectives, and build healthier relationships.

6 Ways to Become a Nicer Person

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Judgment.Malinowska-Cieślik M, Mazur J, Nałęcz H, Małkowska-Szkutnik A.Social and behavioral predictors of adolescents' positive attitude towards life and self.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22):4404. doi:10.3390/ijerph16224404Fernández L, Fossa A, Dong Z, et al.What do patients find judgmental or offensive in outpatient notes?J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(9):2571-2578. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06432-7

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Judgment.Malinowska-Cieślik M, Mazur J, Nałęcz H, Małkowska-Szkutnik A.Social and behavioral predictors of adolescents' positive attitude towards life and self.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22):4404. doi:10.3390/ijerph16224404Fernández L, Fossa A, Dong Z, et al.What do patients find judgmental or offensive in outpatient notes?J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(9):2571-2578. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06432-7

American Psychological Association.Judgment.Malinowska-Cieślik M, Mazur J, Nałęcz H, Małkowska-Szkutnik A.Social and behavioral predictors of adolescents' positive attitude towards life and self.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22):4404. doi:10.3390/ijerph16224404Fernández L, Fossa A, Dong Z, et al.What do patients find judgmental or offensive in outpatient notes?J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(9):2571-2578. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06432-7

American Psychological Association.Judgment.

Malinowska-Cieślik M, Mazur J, Nałęcz H, Małkowska-Szkutnik A.Social and behavioral predictors of adolescents' positive attitude towards life and self.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22):4404. doi:10.3390/ijerph16224404

Fernández L, Fossa A, Dong Z, et al.What do patients find judgmental or offensive in outpatient notes?J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(9):2571-2578. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06432-7

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Characteristics of Judgmental People#

Benefits of Being Less Judgmental#

6 Ways to Be Less Judgmental#

Pay Attention to Your Thoughts#

Question Your Assumptions#

Recognize Your Biases#

Be Empathetic#

Expand Your Horizons#

Practice Positivity#

Frequently Asked Questions#

A Word From Verywell#