We all pass judgment. I  know I would be a liar if I said I didn’t; I’m sure most people are the same way. Luckily, we are growing up in a society where issues such as race and gender, although still prevalent, aren’t nearly as detrimental as they were a few decades ago. However, our generation is facing its own set of issues and it’s time we realize that ethnicity, social group, sexual orientation, style, shoe size, etc. aren’t characteristics that put us on different levels; they’re what make us interesting as a whole.

     I’ll start by saying, disliking someone for something he or she cannot help is absolutely unjust. It is bigotry at it’s outright worst and should not be tolerated. Maybe we’ve forgotten something extremely important: when we are born, we are the way we are. Some people are born poor. Some people are born Asian. Some people are born with seven toes on each foot. But are we truly all that different? We all have hearts, brains, and blood. We all have feelings and ideas. Wouldn’t the world be boring without all that flavor? I think so.

     Not only is a homogeneous world boring, it is impossible. Cultures are now mixed throughout the world, clothing has become a profession of individuality, and homosexuality is paving its way to acceptance. We live in a world where differences are becoming beautiful, yet for some reason it’s difficult for everyone to accept it. Whether it’s hair texture or nose shape, we all have something that sends us into judgment mode. But do we ever sit down and wonder why these things bother us? It’s sad to realize that personal insecurities and the fear of anything different are what incite these feelings, but imagine a world without all of the crazy little distinctions. Who would we be as individuals without everyone else’s wacky characteristics?  The funny thing is, we wouldn’t be individuals. We would be a giant pool of commonplace look-alikes. Without uniqueness, there is no beauty.

     So, where do we go from here? It may seem like a burden to step back and rethink our unwarranted judgments, but in reality, it’s ridiculously simple. We just need to remember that we are all people; we are all equal. We all have feelings, and although this may sound silly and elementary, I’m going to say it anyway: it’s not cool to hurt other people’s feelings. There is no reason for it. In the words of a good friend: ‘be a lifter upper, not a putter downer.’