Judgment versus Accountability

Accountability empowers where judgment disempowers.

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

It’s easy to pass judgment on others.

You see it all the time. Scroll through social media and read the comments on virtually any topic — and you see judgment. There’s always someone offering to pass judgment on how people do this, that, or the other thing, choices made or not made, and everything else under the sun.

I can’t do anything about that. Everyone has their own opinion — and I can’t alter, change, or make it for them. This is outside of my control.

But I can choose judgment or accountability for myself. This begins by recognizing how judgment and accountability are frequently treated as opposite sides of the same coin. And while, to some degree, that’s true of them — in reality, they’re very different animals.

Judgment

What is judgment?

In this context, it’s looking at something — person, place, thing, idea, tangible or intangible — and proclaiming its value. Or, more specifically, your belief in its value.

Common examples include,

· Look how that person is raising their child.

· Why have they let themselves become so fat?