The Importance of Reserving Judgement

I believe, as the old clichéd saying goes, that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Just like the majority of human beings out there, I tend to be pre-disposed to make assessments on someone’s character or lifestyle based on their outward appearance. Recently though, I have come to realize how truly detrimental this innate reaction toward other people can be.

When I first realized one of my co-workers was interested in me, I turned away the possibility instantly. How could I ever date someone who makes pizzas for a living? It was simply unacceptable. However, time went by, and my resolve seemed to lessen day by day. His kindness as well as his ability to make me laugh was gradually winning me over, despite my determination not to get involved. In the end he won out, and the two of us began dating. During this time, I discovered that not only could my boyfriend cook better than anyone I knew, but he in fact had plans to return to school; he was simply saving up money to get him there.

This realization made me feel relieved, but I was also ashamed for assuming that my boyfriend was not motivated simply because of the job he held. This was more than enough proof for me that I was on the right track with this relationship; however, my parents held a very different view. Despite being noticeably happier and doing well in school after meeting my boyfriend, my parents were livid when they found out about us. They were convinced that he didn’t care about me at all and that he would only end up using me as a source of income. Plus, as a guy, his only real concern was getting into my pants. I knew this was not the case, and I told my parents that they would see they were wrong if they would just meet him. But no; they had already made their analysis of him by judging him to be like the average young adult male they have seen through their own experiences.

I was shocked and devastated by their attitude. The fact that my parents would not even give my boyfriend a chance because of his job status made me want to scream in frustration. My boyfriend takes care of me when I’m sick, drives me to and from school every day, and loves nothing more than to just sit and watch a movie with me. But I guess my parents will never know about any of that, because my boyfriend was no good to them the minute they found out he was a high school graduate who still worked full time at a pizza shop.

Unless you really take the time to know someone personally, you never know who could change your life or become a lifelong friend. No person should be judged until you have seen their true character. This I believe.