I have found that it is such an easy thing to do, to judge someone before you have even met them, especially if they act in such a way that allows you to make a certain impression of them in the first place. Have you ever had those moments when, for example, say you're driving and some aggressive driver behind you is tailing you and honks their horn at you out of mere impatience, and after switching to the left lane to zoom past you they give you the finger. Yes, that wasn't very nice, and I'm sure some not so nice thoughts or words at least ran through your mind after that experience. The easiest thing to do is to assume that that person is horrible, that they are probably rude, selfish, and any other negative adjective you can think of in that moment. However, do you really even know that person?

Has there ever been someone in your life that you just never seem to get along with? I think it is safe to say that pretty much all of us have had at least one person in our lives so far who we just cannot mesh well with, even if it is someone we had a small encounter with whom we do not even know personally. Like they all say, "love your neighbor as yourself," right? We all know that, and it is an extremely important thing to remember and practice. In order to do that though I believe we need to also remember to not make assumptions about those people before we really even get to know them. So, before you make an assumption about someone, please remember this: You don't know everything, so please just love them anyways. OK, that sounded really harsh, right? Let me explain first. Whenever we make assumptions there is a tendency to assume we are automatically right, and when we make up facts about someone without having accurate proof we believe that these assumptions are truths. Thus, these poorly backed up "truths" become our own personal opinions, whether they are true descriptions of one's character or not.

In more recent news, if you have not yet heard, Michael Phelps told interviewers shortly before the start of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics about his darker days as a young adult. Most people know that Phelps did drugs and got a DUI a few years ago, however most people do not know about his life during this time. He did make some bad choices for himself, however if you read this article about how he turned his life around he tells the interviewer about how he contemplated suicide in 2014. “I was a train wreck. I was like a time bomb, waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem, no self worth. There were times where I didn’t want to be here. It was not good. I felt lost,” Phelps explained. Now, with someone like Phelps it would be easy to assume such a highly ranked and successful athlete like him would definitely be getting into mischief and testing the limits, but something you never really know about people like him is that there is most likely an underlying wound. Phelps isolated himself for about a week, hardly eating and sleeping at all. Fortunately, by the influence of a good, Christian friend, NFL star Ray Lewis, Phelps turned his life around for the better and decided to continue his swimming career.

Now, I bet hearing something like that about a person can quickly change your assumptions about them, right? It is easy to judge someone based on what you see on the surface, and honestly, rightfully so, because actions do speak louder than words after all, but you don't know their lives and what they are going through behind closed doors? Was there a kid that bullied you in grade school? They might have had a dysfunctional life at home with unloving parents. Maybe the person you are conflicting with has been very unloving towards you, but please do not make harsh accusations or judgments of them right away. OK, OK, I know that some people are just straight up jerks and unfortunately, some people are as they appear, but all I ask is that you remember that you don't know what they are going through, so love them anyways.

When I say love them anyways, this does not mean you have to be their best friend. Love is not a feeling, it is something we choose time and time again because we recognize that other people are just as important human beings as we are, and we must acknowledge their worth and dignity. Love is self-giving, making sacrifices, not wishing harm or pain on others...

So please, do not make harsh assumptions about any person before you really get to know them. We are all human and make mistakes, and we all have issues going on in our daily lives. Do not judge a man who is having a bad day just because he might have a short fuse, you never know what he is going through. Instead, let's accept that we all make mistakes, and that we all have the ability to change, to love one another, and respect each other. Maybe if we all remembered this we could make the world once again an even more beautiful place.