Can you go for 24 hours without judging or calling anybody names? 

Even while driving?

We all stand outside others’ lives – making judgments – about what they eat, how they dress, how they drive, where they shop, how they talk, what kind of car or phone they have.

We still stereotype by groups – gay, black, Muslim, Mormon, Asian, the rich, the poor (fill in the blank).

We throw around hurtful, judgmental words –  calling someone fat, old, ugly, stupid, gay.

Well, Try Stopping for ONE DAY!

 

Remember when Lucy Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” made a bet that she could tell the truth for 24 hours?

Can you go for 24 hours without judging or calling anyone names?

That means not judging anyone for anything that is their choice, their behavior (legal and not abusive), their religion, their sexual orientation. Think about it: They have as much right to be who they are, as you do. Ideally, we’d all like to “live and let live.” But practicing is like being a “saint.” But actually it’s just being more loving. It’s being more forgiving. It’s being more HUMBLE – a radical idea that we are all equal, and that everyone gets to choose for themselves, and that we are no better or no worse. The idea that it’s a level playing field. Here are other ways we judge:

• People who are overweight
• People we see buying junky food at restaurants and supermarkets
• People who talk loud People who use ancient cellphones and old technology
• People who don’t use cellphones
• People with low-slung pants so you see their underwear
• People who are old and we look down on them
• People who are disabled Biases against women bosses
• Prejudice against white male guys
• Prejudice against gay guys who are flamboyant
• Biases against goodlooking people
• Prejudice against poor people
• Prejudice against rich people
• People who are models
• People who are perceived as unattractive
• People who wear cheap clothes
• People who wear designer labels
• People who swear
• People who don’t swear
• People who have been in the military
• People who haven’t been in the military
• People from the South
• People from the Coast
• People who drink too much
• People who don’t drink
• People who smoke pot
• People who don’t smoke pot
• People who are smart
• People who aren’t smart

So will you commit to taking the challenge? For 24 hours, you can’t say (or think) … I don’t like “xxx” (pick a group) He’s talking too loud That dress is tacky She shouldn’t be doing xxxx (pick a behavior) Etc. Join us. Share this. Forward to others. We want to get 100,000 people to take the challenge together on the same day! That day is November 19 – the anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, when the president re-invigorated the ideals upon which America was founded, and gave a speech urging the end of slavery. Sign up.