"Judgment Is Survival: The Lie of ‘Don’t Judge’"
The Judgment Paradox: The Great Debate
Characters:
Oximus – No oxshit, judgment is survival.
Mithrad – Preacher of tolerance, now struggling.
Oktondius – The guy waking up to reality.
Dr. Tchernius Imretius – The narrator & psychological analyst.
Setting:
A dimly lit lounge. Dark wood, heavy air. Cigars smolder in an ashtray. Whiskey glows in the glasses. A storm rumbles outside, mirroring the tension building inside.
Opening: The Psychology of "Don't Judge"
Dr. Tchernius Imretius (narrating, setting the stage):
"Judgment. Feared, denied, yet practiced by all. Some claim to reject it. Others embrace it as law. But why do some resist it so desperately?
"The human DNA is wired for survival. Judgment is not a choice—it is an automatic response. Within two seconds of meeting someone, your mind has already assessed dominance, trustworthiness, and potential threat. To 'not judge' is not enlightenment—it is self-deception.
"So why do some insist we must stop judging? Some say morality. Others say empathy. But one answer stands above all—control. A population that refuses to judge is a population that does not question. A population that does not question is a population that obeys.
"Tonight, obedience is challenged."
Round 1: The First Crack
Mithrad (leaning back, swirling his drink, firm but composed):
"Harsh judgment creates division. It makes people feel lesser. You never know what someone has been through. That’s why we should accept everybody as they are because we all are the way we are."
Oximus (exhaling smoke, raising an eyebrow):
"Accepting people as they are has nothing to do with making an assessment. You can accept a snake for what it is—doesn't mean you let it bite you."
Oktondius (leaning in, intrigued):
"Who decides what’s harsh?"
Mithrad (scoffing slightly, shifting in his chair):
"Come on, you know what I mean."
Oximus (grinning):
"No, I don’t. Break it down for me."
Round 2: The "You Don’t Know Their Story" Argument
Mithrad (sensing a shift, but still holding on):
"Look, people have their struggles. You never know their full story. That’s why we shouldn’t judge so quickly."
Oximus (laughing, shaking his head):
"That is EXACTLY why we judge. Because I don’t know their story. You think every sob story is real? You think every person you meet is authentic? We judge because it’s the only way to separate the real from the oxshit."
Mithrad (visibly uncomfortable now, glances briefly at Oktondius for support—but Oktondius just watches, silent):
"I mean… I just think…" (fidgets, shifting weight in his chair, fingers tapping the glass).
Oktondius (calm, but measured):
"No comment right now. Just… offering feelings. Go on."
Mithrad (exhaling sharply, forced chuckle):
"Alright, so what, we should assume everyone’s full of s**t?"
Oximus:
"YES. Because we all are! People lie. People manipulate. You do it, I do it, everyone does it. That doesn’t mean we’re evil—it means we’re human. Judgment isn’t about tearing someone down. It’s about seeing through the noise."
Dr. Tchernius Imretius (narrating, smoothly breaking it down):
"Mithrad is facing what psychologists call cognitive dissonance—when two conflicting beliefs battle for dominance in the mind.
He wants to believe in universal acceptance, but reality does not align with that. His body language shifts—fidgeting, tension in the jaw, tapping fingers—a classic sign that his subconscious is resisting, but cracking."
Round 3: The Ultimate Judge
Mithrad (voice slightly strained, still resisting): "But who even has the right to judge? Who decides?"
Oximus (leaning in, locking eyes with him):
"The only person who has the ultimate judgment is one set of eyes—your own. And that’s why people chant this ‘don’t judge’ nonsense. Because the harshest judgment comes from the one set of eyes we can never escape—our own.
We judge ourselves relentlessly, and it cuts deeper than anything anyone else could say. That’s why we chant ‘don’t judge’—it’s not about kindness; it’s an unconscious attempt to block the pain of being seen/judged, even by ourselves. We hide behind ‘acceptance’ because the weight of true judgment is too much to bear."
Mithrad (jaw tightening, fingers tightening on glass, something clicking inside him):
"...F**k."
Round 4: The Final Blow
Mithrad (sighs, rubbing his temple, voice lower now):
"I still think kindness matters."
Oximus (raising his glass):
"Never said it didn’t. But kindness without judgment? That’s called being a doormat."
Mithrad (silent for a long moment, then… sighs. Raises his hand to the bartender):
"Double whiskey. Straight."
Oximus (grinning, lifting his own glass):
"Cheers to that."
The Storm Breaks
Dr. Tchernius Imretius (final narration, as the storm outside rumbles again):
"And so, the illusion shatters. Judgment is not the enemy. It is the filter between truth and deception. The ones who tell you not to judge… are often the ones who fear being seen for what they truly are.
"But let’s not kid ourselves—this ‘don’t judge’ nonsense is the anthem of the Instagram age. We’re living in a time where ‘good vibes only’ is a lifestyle choice, and cancel culture is the judge, jury, and executioner.
The irony? The same people preaching ‘acceptance’ are the first to drag someone for wearing socks and sandals. Mithrad’s struggle isn’t just his—it’s ours.
We want to be kind, but deep down, we’re all Oximus, no- oxshitting- sizing people up before they’ve even finished their first sentence. Judgment isn’t just wired into our brains; it’s hardwired into our DNA. And pretending otherwise is just another form of self-deception.
" Ask yourself this—if you refuse to judge, how will you ever know when you're being deceived? And worse, if you refuse to judge yourself, how will you ever know who you truly are—or who you could become?
Judgment isn’t just a human trait; it’s etched into the biology of every serotonin-based organism. From the depths of the ocean to the heights of human society, judgment is the silent architect of hierarchy, survival, and progress. To deny it is to deny nature itself. Cheers to that double whiskey, Mithrad. You’ve earned it."
