Here is an example of 2 schools of thought that completely contradict each other.
"It's not right to judge one another" and "We are known by the company we keep". Both have pro's and con's.
We all have our own individual thoughts and beliefs of how we choose those we surround ourselves with. Myself personally I most certainly look at a person's character, personality, and what we have in common before I consider taking on any level of relationship with them.
So in a way, yes we do have to "judge" a person before I enter into a relationship. Because of my beliefs and life experience there are just inevitably some people who just would not make it past round 1 with me. We all can say that, right? I mean would any of us really be best friends with anyone who is a convicted, sitting on death row, serial killer?
Now beyond that, we all have those check lists of things that would probably be a deal breakers and none of us would have the exact same list. But here is the tricky part, what happens when people change and they no longer pass the test? I have had that happen to me a few times over the last few years as I began to really have the nerve to say that some people just don't fit my ideals anymore. I have walked away from relationships that became toxic, their priorites I just didn't agree with, and recently when their lives became too drama-filled for me to be tolerant with. I didn't cry much about it, if at all, because I changed, they changed, and it didnt work for my life and what kind of example I wanted to set for my son. I also ended it because that person became the kind of person I wanted to be associated with, or I didn't begin one because of the same reason.
So it may not be up to me to judge, but it is up to me to be mindful of the company I keep.
