Not a maintainer, but I'd like to add my $.02.
I appreciate neurodoc's honesty and agree that some people in this thread have been harsh or overly critical of her, proving that we ALL can be judgmental.
We all judge. I have mean thoughts, about people skinny and fat. For example, my mother who is much shorter than me and weighs more. I have had rude thoughts about her eating fast food or sugary sweets b/c she doesn't seem to care to eat healthy or lose weight. I've had mean thoughts about girls who are too skinny along the lines of , "jeez, I'd rather be fat than look like that." "Skinny-bashing" is no better than "fat-bashing."
These thoughts are fleeting. I feel guilty for them sometimes, and usually they are gone as quickly as they've come.
I am glad that you decided not to say anything to those little girls. Just because we have these thoughts, doesn't mean we should voice them. Coming from a stranger, even if they are coming from a good place, will likely offend someone. I understand that you feel, "If I can do it, so can you!" You hope that they will use your advice and help as motivation, and I respect that. I'm sure someone would appreciate, but some would not. I sure wouldn't.
No one is perfect. We all have flaws. A lot of people believe being fat is a "flaw" (I don't necessarily consider it a flaw, but I won't get into that). And worst of all it a visible flaw, that we can't hide, which in some ways is unfair.
I could tell people with crooked or yellow teeth to get braces and get their teeth whitened, "because I did it!"
Skinny people who have never been fat may judge me and want to tell me to do something about my weight. I could feel the same way about people who don't do well in school. I am, and always have been, pretty much a straight A student. I could judge classmates when I see them at parties, because they "should be studying." "I got the highest grade on the last exam, why can't you?"
Someone who is a smoker, could judge someone for being fat. Someone who is fat, can judge someone for being an alcoholic. An alcoholic can judge someone for being addicted to prescription pills.
No one is perfect, and something that seems easy to you may not be so easy to another. That's life. I try to keep this in mind when I find myself having judgmental thoughts. As many have said, we never know someone's life story or why they are the way they are so it's not our place to speak up and pass judgment.
Last edited by ASaladandaDream; 05-07-2013 at 03:16 PM.
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