“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” ~Pema Chodron

Personally, I feel if we can let go of judgement, we open ourselves up to much insight, opportunity and growth.  TinyBuddha.com has a great article on 3 causes for judging people (and how to accept yourself).  The three causes they site are:

1. “You wouldn’t tolerate the same behavior or characteristic in yourself.”
2. “You display the same behavior and aren’t aware of it so you project your disowned behavior onto others and dislike it “out there”.”
3. “You are envious and resent the feelings that come up so you find something wrong with those who have what you want and end up judging them.”

Knowing and understanding why it happens is the first step in overcoming it.  I think we can often place judgment, almost innocently as an emotional reaction, but it generally does not serve a positive purpose and revolves more around yourself than the other person.  If you can be aware of it, it can be a great opportunity for you to learn more about yourself and grow… and become more comfortable and confident in yourself, and in turn, be a positive force to others.

If you would like to read the entire Tiny Buddha article, click on the link below: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/3-causes-for-judging-people-how-to-accept-yourself/