At work today, I passed an unknown man in the hall, and as is often the case, glanced at his face with unease, wondering if he would glance at me, like me, give me a look of approval or disapproval as I walked by.
I caught a glimpse of the two of us in a glass door. I was a big man next to him, and the thought flashed through my mind, "He's probably afraid of *me*!" I smiled, and the approval I had covertly sought from him suddenly seemed very silly.
This man had no authority over me. He could not punish me for not fitting his perception of proper behavior or dress. His disapproval would mean no more than a barking dog chained to a tree - amusing at best, but ultimately irrelevant. I could even tease him (the dog or the man) and get him riled up - his response would have no relevance to my safety or well-being.
A dog, of course, thinks his opinion the most important in the world; and I, as a human, look down and smile at his naivete. His response comes from limited consciousness, irrelevant to the real world.
Is this not true of any of us who judge?
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