One thing I really appreciate in Finland is the neutral perspective most people have towards the ideologies around them. I know that human beings cannot be totally neutral, and they will have opinions on almost every event they face, but not being judgmental is what I mean here. Whether it's the result of good education or part of the culture, or even my misunderstanding of the whole concept, it is something that I highly appreciate, and try to practice in my life. The ability to regard differences with respect, and not to label them either good or bad, is very valuable in my opinion.
Having lived in a judgmental society where everything you do and say leads to some judgement on you by the people around, I feel that it's a great blessing not to be judged. To accept that anybody who does something has a personal reason for it, and the fact that people are responsible for their own deeds, demands an attitude and understanding that does not exist in many cultures. Understanding that people are free to choose the way they want to live and to accept them the way they are,
In many cultures like Iran's, as a case in point, it is very common to divide every act and every person to two groups of good and bad. The criteria for the division could be mostly religious teachings and traditional morals and they're stuck in people's mind from school time. Imagine that you need to consider people and what they think of you, in whatever decision you want to make about yourself and your own life. It could be the person you love and you want to be with, or even the friends you prefer to socialize with. In many cases, depending on the type of family you are born in, and the city in which you live, you may have more or less restrictions.
To be able to survive and maintain social life, you have to be part of the system and follow the rules. You want the approval of others, and to be approved by them often means that you have to act according to their ideologies and way of life. Some resort to pretend that they do, which I think can lead to a complicated cultural phenomenon. This culture and attitude, in the course of time, makes people two-faced. It means that they need to pretend to be something while being something else; sometimes totally the opposite. This is a way to have a good face in the eyes of others, and at the same time, do what your heart tells you. Imagine how hard it is going to be, to understand such people. In Iran's case, the rules of the society have made the job even more difficult.
Although many young people nowadays try to live their life without taking the judgement of others seriously into account, the fact that this attitude and the atmosphere influence their decisions is undeniable.It is not always easy for everybody to bear the labels and the negative opinions and gossips about themselves and to make a friends circle with the people who think like them, and try not to care about what others say. The truth is that not many follow this way, either because of the family or situation they live in, or the fear, etc. As a result, there are many who let their lives be shaped by the society and the beliefs and attitudes of the people around them, so much that they are not themselves anymore.
To be able to survive and maintain social life, you have to be part of the system and follow the rules. You want the approval of others, and to be approved by them often means that you have to act according to their ideologies and way of life. Some resort to pretend that they do, which I think can lead to a complicated cultural phenomenon. This culture and attitude, in the course of time, makes people two-faced. It means that they need to pretend to be something while being something else; sometimes totally the opposite. This is a way to have a good face in the eyes of others, and at the same time, do what your heart tells you. Imagine how hard it is going to be, to understand such people. In Iran's case, the rules of the society have made the job even more difficult.
Although many young people nowadays try to live their life without taking the judgement of others seriously into account, the fact that this attitude and the atmosphere influence their decisions is undeniable.It is not always easy for everybody to bear the labels and the negative opinions and gossips about themselves and to make a friends circle with the people who think like them, and try not to care about what others say. The truth is that not many follow this way, either because of the family or situation they live in, or the fear, etc. As a result, there are many who let their lives be shaped by the society and the beliefs and attitudes of the people around them, so much that they are not themselves anymore.
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