If you had to sum up your life philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

If I had to sum up my life philosophy in one sentence, it would be this:

Judge people by the person they are, not by the colour of their skin, their religion, or the culture they come from.

I’ve always believed that goodness and kindness have no particular colour, nationality, or religion. Neither does cruelty. There are wonderful people in every culture, just as there are people who make poor choices. That’s simply part of being human.

Yet somehow, we live in a world where people are still judged before they’ve even had a chance to introduce themselves.

Someone’s skin colour becomes a reason to make assumptions. Their accent makes them different. Their religion becomes something to question or fear. And sometimes, an entire culture is blamed for the actions of a few.

I’ve never understood that way of thinking.

I’ve always considered myself colour-blind when it comes to people. Not because I don’t recognize our differences, but because those differences have never determined someone’s worth in my eyes. I see a person first, and that’s how I’ve always tried to live my life.

It’s also how I raised my children.

I wanted them to understand that you don’t decide whether someone is a good person by looking at them. You learn who they are by how they treat others, how they behave when nobody is watching, and whether they show compassion when someone needs it.

A person’s character tells you far more than their appearance ever could.

And here’s something else I believe. We don’t have to share the same beliefs to respect one another. We can come from different backgrounds, celebrate different traditions, pray differently, or not pray at all, and still find friendship, kindness, and common ground.

Imagine how much kinder our world could be if we spent more time getting to know people and less time making assumptions about them.

I know prejudice isn’t something that disappears overnight. Sometimes it’s passed down through generations, taught so quietly that people don’t even realize they’ve inherited it. But I also believe we can choose to do things differently.

We can teach our children to be curious instead of fearful, compassionate instead of judgmental, and willing to listen before forming an opinion.

We can remind them that being different doesn’t make someone less deserving of dignity, friendship, or love.

And perhaps most importantly, we can lead by example.

I’m certainly not claiming to be perfect. I’ve lived long enough to know that we’re all capable of making assumptions, and we’re all still learning. But I do believe we have a responsibility to question those assumptions and treat people fairly.

Because at the end of the day, every one of us wants many of the same things. We want to feel safe, to be loved, to belong, and to know that our lives matter.

So, if there’s one thing I hope I’ve passed along to my children, it’s this:

Don’t judge the whole world by the actions of a few, and never decide who someone is before you’ve taken the time to know them.

A good heart doesn’t belong to any one race, religion, or culture.

It belongs to the person carrying it.

With love

©️Suzy Bourget

suzybourgetauthor.ca