Don’t Judge Me

11.13.25

I know we’re “not supposed to judge others,” and I’ve gotten a lot less judgmental since getting humbled by admitting I’m an alcoholic and walking into AA. The rooms are full of people I never would’ve had compassion for before, yet somehow, through this fucked up mutual disease we share, I’ve formed a bond with them. It still blows my mind sometimes.

But let’s be real. Not judging at all? Like ever? Come on. I’m human, not a floating orb of enlightenment. The thoughts still pop up. They’re like spam emails. I don’t ask for them, and yet there they are, clogging up my inbox.

But the difference now is I don’t act on them. Or I really try not to. I don’t let those knee-jerk judgments dictate how I treat people. That’s a hell of a lot better than who I used to be. Before, the judgment walked me around like a dog on a leash. Now, I notice it, take a breath, and choose something better.

This is “progress, not perfection” in action. I can’t be a saint. AA isn’t about scrubbing my brain free of all human reactions. It’s about learning to pause before letting those reactions run my life. Is this what growth looks like? Normal adulting? Having a judgmental thought and not following it.

I’m trying every day to be a lot more open-minded, a lot more compassionate, and a lot less ruled by my old instincts.