How judgmental are you?

I try to take people as I find them and I value diversity of thought and opinion: I think it's good to read/listen to/engage with people whose opinions differ from mine. I find myself less influenced by others as I've got older though, mostly because I do a lot of thinking and I live in a household where we have lively discussions so I've often had to explain or justify my views.

I would hope never to limit my understanding of someone based on which party they vote for or which newspaper they read, but having had a horrid first hand experience I admit to bias in regard to the latter.

I think it's much more important to be kind than to be 'right' or to 'win' an argument, but I do sometimes fall short of my own ideals.

I'm probably considered beyond the pale too because I vote Labour and read the Guardian ? I think it's important to respect other people's views and communicate politely on social media. However it's also ok to respectfully point out some of the issues if someone is expressing views which are potentially abusive or harmful to others. I think views like that should be challenged, but as I said with respectful language. For example I read a comment the other day from someone who thought disabled people should not get mobility payments because they don't need to leave the house now they can shop online. I'm afraid I did question that view, politely of course.

However judgemental one might be - surely everyone is judgemental but surely we know when to reveal it or how right or wrong we probably are?

I drive a BMW - topless- the car not me, as an old lady that blows the young man theory!! I am judgemental but try to keep that to myself. I think everyone is but they often fight against that nature, like me, or being on a forum just let rip!! I value diversity and others opinions I do not in RL surround myself with like minded people, that would be boring.... But if I want to continue to have them in my life I have to suspend judgement. I do not believe what you read or vote makes you any particular sort of person. So no your not beyond the pale. I vote Labour but my kids went to Private School and I have Private Health Insurance, I don't read any papers- maybe the free Evening Standard when in London. I like most people am a complex mix of strong views, traits and values, most of my strong views have become tendencies with age as opposed to strong views anymore.

My DH has become more judgemental with age and likes to rage against everything and anything on the TV.

Too scared to post on this thread!

Being judgemental is perhaps too sweeping a description for someone who might point out that newspapers are very biased, some more than others, and they do influence their readers to vote in certain ways.

Newspaper readership was found to be the most important predictor of voting in the EU referendum with the readers of the Express, Daily Mail, Sun and Telegraph very likely to vote Leave and Guardian readers most likely to vote Remain. The "i" was the only one found to be unbiased.

I think it's best to get your news from a range of sources. As well as watching TV and listening to Radio 4, I read the "i" six days a week and The Times two or three days a week, and I also look at the Guardian, Telegraph, Herald and Scotsman online. I even occasionly look at Mailonline - but not too often as it raises my blood pressure.

By all means stick to your usual paper, but try not too be unaware of the way it is influencing your opinion.

I am ashamed to admit that I am shockingly judgemental politically, being somewhat to the left of the leftiest lefty, but even worse, in real life I judge people who are not particular about personal hygiene!

I'm sure it's a judgement upon me, that whenever I use public transport, the rankest, sweatiest, most malodorous passenger always decides to sit next to me.

Judge not lest ye may be seated by a smelly person!

Thank you varian - I was trying to find the way to put this- and you did it se well.

Some newspapers (and politicians) tend to use many 'fixed epithets' to describe certain groups of people. Examples are 'hard-working' for families, 'feckless' for teenage mothers (but not fathers), 'scrounging' for the unemployed, etc. Over time, groups of people are associated in people's minds with certain characteristics and people begin to judge them as a group, rather than as individuals. To my mind, that's what being judgmental is all about.

Surely people choose to read a paper that espouses their 'judgements' , their views and their opinions. So if a paper is routinely treating groups of people by using stereotypes and 'judgements' - then it seems only fair to come to the conclusions that they match to some extent with the reader - unless reader reads a wide range of papers to balance this out.

Same in the USA for people who only wach 'Fox News'.

I think you're right, granjura. Newspapers use sophisticated methods to target their readership (so they sell more). They then reinforce those views. All newspapers (online or paper) have an agenda and, therefore, bias. It's dangerous if people can't recognise the bias and accept opinion as fact. I try to read a wide range of media from the Daily Express to the Guardian and Al Jazeera, etc etc and try to pick out and check facts against more original sources.

I think Shelagh got it right
However judgemental one might be - surely everyone is judgemental but surely we know when to reveal it or how right or wrong we probably are?
I'm a Times reader and I vote strategically in the hope of getting labour out of this area( so entrenched that the population is taken for granted and treated very very badly) and I'm very impressed that people have so much time to read all these newspapers. I'm still doing the crossword at bedtime. I'm extremely judgemental of those who carnt spel and cannot see that another person is entitled to their opposing views as in some political threads.

"those who carnt spel" etc - it's because they're using those stupid smartphones and texting.
There, that's me being judgemental.

Hasn't done you any good, has it Stansgran?
Although you might get UKIP next time, but I'm sure that's not who you want.

It's four years since I bowed out as a CAB adviser, but still carry some of my training with me and one thing that I remember is that as advisers we had to remain neutral even if we disagreed with and/or disapproved of a client. I have never been one to suffer fools gladly, but realise there are some whose views are so deeply entrenched that there's no point in arguing. I know a few people like that in a group I belong to, but we have enough things in common to get along together. They don't like my politics and I don't like theirs. So - there are other things to make social contact enjoyable.

I'd rather say I don't understand, rather than judge, people who claim to be socialists but send their kids to private school. I'm not judging anyone for being a socialist, or for that matter sending their kids to a private school, it's just the two together , unless there is some special needs issue that cannot be addressed in the state sector, but then that would also apply to others who couldn't afford an alternative. The main ethos of socialism as I understand it, is equality, a level playing field for all, or do socialists who educate privately want a level playing field for everyone else's kids..........but not theirs (cos they're ever so special) and they need to get them right to the top of the greasy pole, just like they did and cos they're kids are worth it

If only closed minds came with closed mouths

TerriBull- depends if in real life or a forum- and if the question has been asked for others to comment, give opinion- as in this thread? If someone asks you what you think- then it is fair to reply- and often agree to disagree. If you can't then you have 2 choices, withdraw or hold your own, hopefully with evidence, links, research, etc. And yet many here would say that this is being 'judgemental' - and as said, extremely 'judgemental' in itself.

Indeed Anya, indeed ;)

It is not so much being judgmental as making assumptions about people because of one or two facts they let slip. It is a particular internet problem. I read the DM. I also read the I and the Observer and, at times either the Telegraph or Guardian.

Admit to reading one of these papers and an immediate stereotype comes to mind, but find the full range I read and the stereotypes dissolve in confusion.

It applies to so many things, political persuasion, religious beliefs. It is lazy thinking that slots people into stereotypes and means nobody has to think intelligently about who someone really is.

I reckon that I'm quite confused. I read the Times, The dm, our 2 local papers. Watch the news on BBC and Sky. I vote Tory and yet I voted Remain!

It is an insult to make judgments on me because of one fact. I meet people from all walks of life, engage them in conversation and make my own judgments.

Many of us are, as you say 'confused' - I'd say 'complex'.
Some of us try to not fall into the trap of being one thing, or another, and fit into clear boxes.

Perhaps it comes from our own background. If someone is born with all their family and friends being of one nationality, one political affiliation, one religion, one colour, one etc, etc- then it must be hard at times to perceive different ways of looking at things.

If on the other end, 'one' grew up in a mixed religious household, and encountered mixed all of the above- then perhaps it is easier to always consider that there are many ways to look at 'things' and be a little more flexible. So no, not 'confused'.

What judgement have you reached Tricia and Standgran on people like me and on me who hsve a problem with spelling? And I do not have a smart phone