hypocritical brain

I noticed that all the things that I don't like about other people, I sometimes catch myself doing the same things or behaving in the same ways. And because I'm doing it--it's okay, because it's an exception. Then I catch myself doing it again...and I excuse myself another time. It's such a judgmental and hypocritical mentality. For example, I hate it when people are late, and I'm not exactly the most punctual person. So I would show up 5-10 minutes late and that's okay because I really needed those extra minutes. But when a friend is late, I get so irritated. I think, How could they be so inconsiderate of my time? Or I hate it when people gossip, and when I catch myself gossiping, I feel like such a douchebag.

This dissonance is very frustrating. I think back to a lecture that Sophie's mom gave while I was in Tucson about judgements. Judgements are ungrounded statements and assumptions that you make about others. They come from experiences and exposure to various environments. Judgements actually come from your own evaluation of yourself. So for example, I am not satisfied with my body and it's one of my biggest insecurities: how I look. And so naturally, the first thing I judge when I look at someone, especially a girl, is her body. Is she fat? Is she skinny? Is she muscular? How is she dressed? and the list can go on. It's easy to pick at other people's body flaws. And in some ways, it can even make you feel better about yourself. But honestly, what is the point? I'm evaluating her because I can't pick at myself all the time--that's really unfair. It's a very bad habit and ever since I've identified it, whenever I catch myself doing this evaluation, I stop. I simply stop. It's not fair for me to judge her personality based on how she dresses or takes care of her body. It's her prerogative. My judgements of her are more of a reflection about me and how I perceive her. In someone else's eyes, she could be perfect.

So, how do you stop yourself from judging others?