Great post Maha. Important the “watch what we say” and not just in spiritual matters where we can presume to be judgmental–a fault all religions warn us against. (I’m reading about psychiatry now and judging isn’t allowed even that mostly secular field).

In the “critiques” I remember from art school the notion of being critical is turned to helping a person by offering feedback. Allowing them to see their work through your eyes and gain a deeper understanding of how they are seen. It’s a supportive process that trades judgement for a kind of outreach and empathy. Learning this process of being other-directed as a teenager was probably the only thing in school that ever impressed me.