Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic saint and whenever her name comes up, one is reminded of unconditional love, compassion and selfless service to those in need. Born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910, she developed strong religious inclinations at the young age of 18. She came to India in 1929 and spent a good number of years teaching history and geography at a convent school in Calcutta.
On a train journey in 1946, she saw poverty and suffering and this is what evoked a realization in her that she wants to live among those in need in slums and help them. She eventually went on to found the Missionaries of Charity and her motto in life became to care for the hungry, homeless, cripples and all those people who felt unwanted, unloved and uncared for.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for alleviating suffering from the lives of many people. She became a symbol of peace and humanitarianism. Her words continue to inspire many and shall always do. Once she said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
What does the quote mean?
The quote serves a reminder to people that judgements on people do no good to anyone. Instead of finding flaws in a person, one should simply appreciate the goodness in everyone and love them for who they are. Most of us will agree that in this day and age, judgement, scrutinty and finding flaws in others has become a second nature of many people.
However, it is not healthy. Come to think of it, when your brain is busy building walls of judgment, it leaves absolutely no room to build bridges of connection. Loving someone requires empathy, patience and a lot of understanding. You can’t truly see a person’s goodness if you are too busy counting their flaws. It does not mean we must blindly agree with everything everyone does. It simply means choosing to see their humanity first.
Lessons from the quote
- When you choose to criticize someone, you automatically close the door to forming a good bond with them.
- Giving labels to people and putting them in a box is a bad habit that one should get rid of.
- In this day and age of social media where everyone is scrutinising everyone’s move, constant judgment can trigger many mental health struggles. It can erode one’s peace of mind and start an undercurrent of negativity.
- Always remember that everyone is fighting a quiet battle you know nothing about.
- Expecting others to be flawless ensures you will always find a reason to distance yourself from them.
- You cannot truly love a person if you spend your initial moments calculating their faults.
Tips to follow the quote
- The next time you find yourself silently judging someone’s clothes, words, or actions, hit pause instantly.
- Instead of thinking “Why are they doing that?”, gently ask yourself “What could they be going through today?”
- Direct the energy you spend analyzing other people’s lives toward improving your own daily habits.
- Force your mind to identify at least one good quality in a person you find difficult to deal with.
- Politely step away from conversations that revolve entirely around picking apart other people’s choices.
- Allow others the space to make a mistake without permanently branding them because of it.
- Take a deep breath and tell yourself, “They are doing the best they can with what they know right now.”
- Make it your goal to offer comfort and validation before you offer an opinion.
