Judging Others

Many worthwhile thoughts upon which I have feasted all week were shared last weekend among the Body meeting at Don & Julie's. One thought in particular has continually resonated in my mind. Annette said that when someone feels judged by someone else, fear and separation result in the relationship. This includes if someone perceives that they have been judged, whether or not their perception is true. I have really seen this principle in action in the behavior of my children, co-workers, and even myself. And yet who am I to judge anyone? There are so many factors to consider as to why people act the way they do, and I do not possess the ability to accurately assess all the variables involved. To further demonstrate this point I have included several points from an article entitled Probing Inappropriate Rage written by William J. Cromie published in the Harvard University Gazette (8/26/2004):

The researchers asked the question, "What was the difference between people who controlled their anger pretty well, and those who could not handle it in a socially acceptable way?" They found that when normal subjects experienced anger, blood flow was increased to the reasoning area of the brain. This inhibited thoughts of rage, while blood flow increased to the area of the brain that deals with emotion and vigilance simultaneously.
Those who suffered from both depression and rage had a decreased blood flow to both the orbitofrontal cortex and the amgdala resulting in a decreased "ability to control impulsive acts and their feelings about the consequences of those acts, say punching someone in the mouth. There is both a lack of emotion and a lack of control. A double hit that adds up to inappropriate, even violent rage. "
" Those with major depression who are free of anger attacks show a lack of activity in both brain areas; both their feelings and reasoning about anger are deadened. "

The following story is also included in the article which I think further demonstrates the point that behavior is more complex than many of us may have given thought to, and should perhaps give us cause to rethink any judgements we may have made regarding others.

"There's the classic story of Phineas Gage, a 19th century railroad man who - in a freak accident - had a metal tamping rod driven through his skull just above his left eye. Gage survived but his easygoing personality did not. He went from a mild-manned, well-liked, and admired man to a violent, unstable brute, hated and avoided by all who knew him. The tamping rod had destroyed his cerebral center of anger inhibition behind his forehead. " (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/08.26/01-anger.html)