Prejudice and judgements

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Prejudice and judgements…

I would lie if I told you I never had them, prejudices. To put a label on something. To judge, without knowing what it’s all about. It probably has something to do with our human brain that we judge inside our heads, cause let’s be honest? Don’t you have prejudices? Don’t you sometimes have a judgement without knowing the story behind it all?

To express these prejudices can be hurtful or insulting to others, without you really realizing it. There is a story behind it all, and that is the key to success. Knowing that full story, cause believe me it is wonderful to be able not to judge and not have those predjudices. Not having to put labels on something or somebody gives peace of mind. It’s is a great feeling not having to express anything negative, cause a prejudice is seldom positive.

I left on my journey last year, let’s say with a handful of those prejudices I’ll admit that. I guess it where prejudices created by my own mind, influenced by media and other people’s opinions. With all those prejudices and opinions I walked off into that big adventure, with an open heart and soul. Into the unknown.

I walked through Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The part Bulgaria and Serbia was a very thrilling part for me. Fed with “what if” and “imagine that” I crossed those borders. I soon learned different. I learned about the local people, about customs and culture. I learned a bit about their history. And mostly I learned about their hospitality. I found out that there is more good than bad in this world.

No robberies or other madness. No monsters and man-eaters. Yeah really, I heard this about the people in Serbia. That they are the instigators of all evil, only murderers live there. I shouldn’t tell I am Dutch cause of the NATO bombings. I surely shouldn’t talk about their neighbours in Croatia or Bosnia. I would end up in a fist fight or disappear.

After great experiences in Turkey and Bulgaria I was invited by a family in the South of Serbia. A man in his front garden told me I needed to rest, eat and drink Rakija while having good conversation. Soon the conversation started about the topics mentioned above. The daughter of the family said “Never judge a book by it’s cover”. Those words struck me. I was moved and touched in my heart by them. From that moment on those words never left me. Weird actually, cause I had seen enough already to know those words are so true!

Now I do think sometimes, but I don’t express immediately. If I do think, I think about the story behind the matter without having prejudices. Cause those prejudices we have, aren’t those just convictions? Just like that, that’s it, we give a label, a stamp without knowing the story behind it all. When we do that, don’t we just project our own flaws on somebody else? We are running away from a truth because judging is easier than searching for the story, to know the truth.

Last decades having prejudices and judgement is made easier by the current digital world. A world where we can’t see each other, hidden behind a screen. A world where we don’t have conversation in a park, pub or in public transport anymore. A world where we all have become strangers to each other instead of bonding together. Cause that makes you grow! It makes you grow to not judge, to not have prejudices but to have that dialogue together. Talk to each other, have conversation and ask open questions with an open mind and heart. You will grow finding out that truth, if your brain was right about your prejudice or not!