By now, most of you have probably seen the youtube audition of Susan Boyle, the Scottish woman who wowed an audience in Britain –during a talent show - when she began to sing.  If you haven’t seen the performance, one of the key things about it was the way the judges and audience viewed and treated her before her performance and how they responded once she began to sing.  Because Susan appeared unsophisticated, and was older than most other contestants, the judges and audience responded to her with overt contempt and disrespect.  Then, after she began to sing, everyone’s demeanor changed dramatically to surprise, awe and delight at the quality of her voice and the way she sang her song.

As I watched, I was deeply moved – as have been most people who’ve seen Susan’s audition – by her talent and energy in the presence of how people responded to her before she began to sing.  It got me to thinking of the price we pay when we hold preconceptions and prejudgments about people and experiences.  If people hadn’t heard Susan sing, they would have continued to think of her as an unsophisticated, older woman from a small village in Scotland.  They wouldn’t have had a clue about who she is or the quality of her talent, and possibly wouldn’t have been open to discovering these things.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to become more aware of the preconceptions and prejudgments you carry with you into your everyday life.  For example, are there people you meet whom you prejudge as this or that, and then treat them in ways that may be unkind or unconsciously cruel?  Or, do you decide that a particular event isn’t for you because it will be this way or that, and then discover that you were completely wrong?  Or, do you fear that something won’t work out and then find out that everything is fine after all?

The problem with preconceptions and prejudgments is that they sometimes create a more arduous experience than we need to have, as when we are afraid of something that’s actually okay, or close us off from the delight of interacting with someone who turns out to be a delightful presence.  Our preconceptions and prejudgments can cause pain for everyone involved, including ourselves.

This doesn’t mean it’s not important to discern what’s right and good for us and what’s not.  Being discerning is an important kind of awareness, and it keeps us from going into dangerous situations, or staying in relationships or experiences that aren’t good for us.  What it does mean is that our preconceptions and prejudgments can cause us to see others inaccurately, or to avoid situations that may actually be very good for us.  As you play with this week’s experiment, notice where your preconceptions and prejudgments turn out to be accurate and where they turn out to be off base.  Over time, the distinction between discernment and judgment becomes clearer.  Nourishing the capacity to discern is a powerful and important quality to have, as it supports self-care and healthy engagement with your world. 

As with all the experiments, be sure to bring along curiosity as your constant companion.  Remember, these experiments are offered to enhance your experience of living consciously, and with holding judgments about yourself and others as you would hold a butterfly in your hand – softly and gently.