Judging or discerning?

There’s no bias-free term which labels one human being  “out of the norm” when determined by “the norm.” Any “neurodivergent” kid will tell you that even a euphemism such as “twice exceptional,” while celebrating a person’s high intelligence, is still a label of “otherness.” There’s an assumption of judgment within any label delivered with even the best of intentions. Kids are geniuses at sniffing out patronizing sentiment even when delivered by the most caring and sensitive of adults. The issue is not one of semantics, though semantics are important. More deeply, it’s about  human nature and human judgment. We are inherently judgmental. This neurological filter has served humanity well, though it is a blunt and often misused instrument. When people mature and evolve towards deeper wisdom, they begin to bring conscious awareness to normal projections and judgments and begin to see a more complex truth. When projections happen, they notice, and learn to practice a more informed discernment. In place of bias we cultivate a more elaborate understanding, built on an operating assumption which recognizes all “others” as singular, unique and valuable, just as we are-- AND which also recognizes that we are all symbolically, archetypally the same. Judgment plays a critical role in helping us find our way through life. But if we embrace our judgments as truth, we end up with a world built on bias, scarcity, fear and desperate grabs at dominance, denial and repression.