1. Session 3 Judgments
Mindfulness X

2. This Presentation What are Judgments? Coloring Reality
OUTLINE
This Presentation
What are Judgments?
Coloring Reality
Strengthening Duality
Limiting Reality
Creating Conflicts

3. 1
What are Judgments?

4. Judging 1. WHAT ARE JUDGMENTS? core processes: evaluation and labeling
often automatic/unconscious
based on opposites;
good/bad
beautiful/ugly
desirable/undesirable
pleasant/unpleasant

5. Characteristics A judgment: colors reality strengthens duality
1. WHAT ARE JUDGMENTS?
Characteristics
A judgment:
colors reality
strengthens duality
limits reality
creates a conflict

6. 2
Coloring Reality

7. A lens judgments operate like a lens
2. COLOURING REALITY
A lens
judgments operate like a lens
seeing the world through the lens of judgments
the color of the lens is shaped by beliefs
the lens influences our experience

8. 2. COLOURING REALITY
A lens
beliefs / norms
judgments
reality

9. A lens 2. COLOURING REALITY person: low salary
spends a lot of quality time with his kids
beliefs:
high salary = important = success
judgment “loser”

10. A lens 2. COLOURING REALITY person: low salary
spends a lot of quality time with his kids
beliefs:
family = important = success
judgment “winner”

11. A lens 2. COLOURING REALITY beliefs: judgment “I am weak” situation:
crying is a sign
of weakness
judgment “I am weak”
situation:
crying because of pain

12. 2. COLOURING REALITY
Important note ” ”
A judgment often says more about the person who makes the judgment than about the person about whom the judgment is made.
Note that the nature of attention is really important here: open and non-judgmental. Otherwise this definition would be very close to a definition of simple concentration.

13. 2. COLOURING REALITY
Ridge & Reber (2010)
simulation: job interview ; 60 men (interviewers), 60 women (applicants)
manipulation of info: female applicant is/is not attracted to interviewer

14. 2. COLOURING REALITY
Ridge & Reber (2010)
if interviewer believed that women felt attracted to them: more flirting behavior
female applicants: more flirting when interviewer believed that they felt attracted to them

15. 2. COLOURING REALITY
Important note ” ”
Thus, behavior is guided by the filter through which we look at reality.
Note that the nature of attention is really important here: open and non-judgmental. Otherwise this definition would be very close to a definition of simple concentration.

16. 3
Strengthening Duality

17. ” ” Duality Duality is having two parts with opposite meanings
3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Duality ” ”
Duality is having
two parts with
opposite meanings
Note that the nature of attention is really important here: open and non-judgmental. Otherwise this definition would be very close to a definition of simple concentration.

18. Duality duality is at the core of judgment duality is contrast
3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Duality
duality is at the core of judgment
duality is contrast
opposites exist only in relation to each other

19. 3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Exercise
Imagine you were the only person on this planet in this whole universe.
Are you little or tall?
Are you good/bad?

20. Exercise Opposites exist only in relation to each other
3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Exercise
Opposites exist only in relation to each other
Absolutely speaking, nothing is good or wrong
The opposites make each other possible:
happiness <> sadness
life <> death
work <> holiday

21. 3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
The same coin - +

22. 3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
The same coin
leisure
time
work

23. 3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
The same coin -
success
failure

24. 3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
The same coin
Not
blue
blue

25. ” - + Judgment focuses on only one of the two halves
3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Judgment
focuses on only one of the two halves
two halves are not perceived as interdependent anymore ” - +

26. Beyond judgment If we take a look at the whole we see that:
3.STRENGTHENING DUALITY
Beyond judgment
If we take a look at the whole we see that:
Good and bad always exists because of each other
To experience A, we must experience ”not-A” (if everything was A, we could not experience it)
Ultimately, we may be thankful for both “bad” and “good” experiences. They make life (experience) possible.

27. 4
Limiting Reality

28. Judgments limit reality
4.LIMITING REALITY
Judgments limit reality
reality is extremely complex
judging reduces reality by only focusing on 1 aspect
we put something in a small “box” (e.g. “bad”, “loser”, “failure”)
reality can only operate and move within the limits of this “box”

29. Exercise 4.LIMITING REALITY
Recall a painful event or loss that you have experienced in your life.
What were the most negative consequences of this event?
Now focus on the positive aspects and how the experience has benefited you as a person. For instance, how has the experience made you better able to meet the challenges of the future? What did you learn from this experience? How have you changed or grown as a person as a result of the experience?

30. Reflection Exercise nothing is only good or bad
4.LIMITING REALITY
Reflection Exercise
nothing is only good or bad
everything contains both sides
by judging you ignore the endless complexity of a situation

31. What is “truth”? beauty ideals: Renaissance rounded body full hips
4.LIMITING REALITY
What is “truth”?
beauty ideals:
Renaissance
rounded body
full hips
Today
skinny
flat stomach

32. Collectivistic cultures Individualistic cultures
4.LIMITING REALITY
What is “truth”?
cultural differences
Collectivistic cultures
community is most important
Individualistic cultures
individual is most important

33. 5
Creating Conflicts

34. Jugments create conflicts
5. CREATING CONFLICTS
Jugments create conflicts
WHAT I FEEL
JUDGMENT: “BAD”
HOW I SHOULD FEEL
Conflict

35. Mindfulness awareness 5. CREATING CONFLICTS WHAT I FEEL
JUDGMENT: “BAD”
HOW I SHOULD FEEL

36. 5. CREATING CONFLICTS
Mindfulness
awareness
judgment

37. A mindful person… is aware that he is judging
5. CREATING CONFLICTS
A mindful person…
is aware that he is judging
is aware that his judgments and reality are two different things
does not judge himself for judging
can “step out” of judgments by entering the present moment again

38. 5. CREATING CONFLICTS
A mindful person…

39. Thanks
For your attention