When did being judgmental become a crime in our society? I've often been criticized for being judgmental about other people. Now, it doesn't bother me so much. Instead, I tell my critics, "You're damn right I'm being judgmental. I'm using my judgment about someone or something." In that sense I'm being "judicious" which is a synonym for judgment. That's how human psychology works. When we see something or someone, we often think about it over and over. Then we formulate our opinions about it while doing so. Alas, we finally decide "yay" or "nay" when it comes time to pull the trigger. Everybody is judgmental to a certain degree; thus, that's how we as a species are able to survive. Sometimes we make good judgments; other times we use bad judgment. As we get older, we're more inclined to use good judgment through experience or because we're more capable of making rational decisions. Some woman once gave me the runaround calling me unkind because she thought I insinuated she was a slut. I never stated she was a slut, but I had good reason to believe she is. She's a pudgy woman who walks around in public wearing super-tight shorts with her butt hanging out and a wonder bra where you can see her cleavage. I figured if she doesn't sleep with everything that moves, she either doesn't have much class or she has low self-esteem. If she doesn't want people to think that way, maybe she should dress more appropriately. Some other women tried lecturing me about sensitivity because I chose not to date single moms. I never said single mothers were stupid, irresponsible, or bad parents, but I know they have baggage, and not everyone has the ability to check their baggage at the door. I'm not crazy about kids, nor do I have any desire to raise someone else's or never being number one in the relationship. Yet another time was when some young black kid walked into the convenience store where I worked five years ago. He started talking smack, and I told him to leave. Then he tried pulling out the race card calling me prejudiced. It wasn't because of the color of his skin why I told him to leave. It was because he was being disrespectful, and he wasn't buying anything but just wandering around the store. He also wore a bandanna, lots of jewelry, an NBA jersey, and baggy pants down below his belt. For all I know, he could have been trying to shoplift. I had no idea what he was hiding in those pants, either. He may not have been a gang banger, buy I sure as hell wouldn't want someone like him marrying my sister. I figured if he wasn't in a gang, perhaps he was a wannabe, or he just wanted to fit in. If the guy spoke proper English, wore nice clothes, and carried himself professionally, that would be another story. I often judge people by what comes out of their mouth, what they wear, and who they hang out with. Tupac Shakur always claimed he was never involved in any criminal activities, but he wasn't fooling me. I seem to recall he met his demise being gunned down on the Las Vegas strip. Now, if he wasn't a thug, and nobody could identify the shooter, the extenuating circumstances seem pretty sketchy to me. Lots of bikers like using this cop-out, too. They claim it's just an association, and it may be. However, a lot of them are a bunch of thugs. Nonetheless, if they don't want to be deemed or treated like outlaws, then maybe they shouldn't dress or act like them. However unkind it sounds to judge a book by its cover, I also know often what you see is what you get. So when did being judgmental become a cardinal sin in our society. - Asked by daugenstine, A Mr. Nice Guy, Male, 29-35, Who Cares? | 