“Don’t be afraid to look into the eyes of what’s staring right back at you.”

Every morning, each of us is subjected to an unadulterated image of ourselves before we enter the shower. Before we groom ourselves for that day’s grind, we see our true self right in front of us. What really irks me is when someone rejects that self – rejects their imperfections, quirks, unique experiences. I’m not talking about physical appearance. What I’m referring to is our personal story.

Each of us is molded by our environments from the second we leave our mother’s womb. Through the accumulation of all our experiences, we are shaped into who we are.  Everybody that we come across is fighting or has endured a completely different, yet legitimate, battle. This variable experience isn’t in itself good or bad, it just is. We may be fed with silver spoons, not use spoons at all, are born into wealth, deal with absentee parents, have physical handicaps, or deal with family illnesses – each of these distinctive characteristics has created our essence and shaped our worldview. Realizing and recognizing this is essential.

It frustrates me when people can’t look themselves in the mirror and give constructive criticism. Instead of looking at themselves, these people look to others’ plight and judge those lives, projecting their own insecurity to someone dealing with personal struggle. It requires empathy to put one’s self in someone else’s shoes. The person you are criticizing may not have the same formative childhood, value system, or resources as you do. You don’t know their personal victories. It’s disappointing when these fundamental differences aren’t taken into account. We have navigated our lives in an exclusive manner.

Just today at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, as I was walking through the vibrant Labour Day crowd, my friend noticed the wide variety of people who had come out for the final day of the CNE. It was a simple comment, but what I admire about this friend of mine is his open-mindedness, good intentions, and big picture perspective. Even in a city as diverse as Toronto, it still surprises us that there can be such different types of people at an event. Each of those individuals and each of those families have their own history. On face value, it’s impossible to know their origin stories. The best we can do is exhibit empathy.

I remember watching the entirety of “The Wire” for the first time. I was so fascinated by the show’s systemic ruminations. The communal effects of corrupt systems of power, justice, capital, and politics were so thought-provoking. It remains the most powerful and impactful television show I’ve ever watched. “The Wire” changed me. I was captivated and would always find myself thinking about the “big picture” questions. Why is it so difficult to overcome barriers beyond our control? Why are there flaws in the justice system that results in innocent people dying? Why is this precedent being set again and again so it’s even more difficult to change policies for the better? Why is Donald Trump one of the possible options to become the president of the United States of America? “The Wire” eloquently ushered me to look beyond myself and wonder as a people: what can we do better? How can we contribute to the betterment of our fellow human beings?

One thing we can do is be honest with ourselves instead of looking down on others. All of us have our flaws. Why not continuously better ourselves and soften our judgments about people that we don’t know? We can admit that we can work on shining a better light. We can ask the mirror on our walls whether we have been the fairest of all to our fellow man and woman.