I stood in the produce aisle at a Manhattan grocery store when a man I’d not seen in ten years approached me. We exchanged the usual pleasantries, somehow landing upon the random topic of yoga.
I mentioned how yoga has helped strengthen my back, and I try not to miss a day. He rudely blurted, “You are a Christian. How can you do yoga? You do know it’s Hinduism, right?”
My once-upon-a-time-sharp-tongue held back fiery words that instantly jumped to mind: “Before questioning my faith, you might want to read the Bible and see if you can reconcile your alternative lifestyle to God’s teachings.” I would have delivered it with a hard stare and wide smile. And, that would have made me exactly like him: foolish.
Later that night, I shook my head in disbelief. This was someone I’d met four times in my entire life who felt comfortable judging based upon my workout routine. While I could pontificate about him in particular, I more broadly considered the ways we box people up.
We categorize and label. We learn one thing and identify the whole person as such. I started thinking about several assumptions I’ve heard in the last year…
- If a person supports one policy of a political party, they must support all of that political party’s actions.
- If an individual disagrees with one of your values, they must not share any of your values.
- If Mom works full time outside the home, her kids are neglected.
- If Mom rears her children full-time, she must not be that accomplished or smart.
- Blue collar workers just fix stuff. White collar workers only care about money.
Why do we assume the welder doesn’t spend his nights reading Tolstoy? Why do we assume the corporate jet setter can’t install a screen door?
Good or bad, we zero in on one WordPress, Instagram or Facebook post and lay a sticker on the forehead of the person for life. Since most of us are multi-dimensional, often interesting folks in our own right, generalizing seems imprudent. Limiting. Alienating.
After I gave the grocery man and this subsequent people-boxing concept fifteen minutes of thought, I concluded with resolve to continue avoiding this behavior. Lord knows I’ve done my share of judging in the past and have thankfully been humbled on occasion.
Of course, discernment is wise, and judging a book by its cover isn’t always a bad idea. The outside often represents the inside. But it’s good to question why we’re limiting a multifaceted, intricate human to one category. Envy, fear and establishing ourselves as superior in that particular category are often top ‘why’ contenders.
Before pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean. Bob Marley
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Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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