More on happiness, criticism, and judging

I'm just running with this theme of happiness and the idea that people who are happy and secure in their lives don't feel the need to criticize other people for the way they live.

Most of us judge people all the time, whether we think we do or not. It's just a way of determining how we think about someone. We can decide that we don't agree with how someone lives their lives - that's judging, nothing wrong with that - but I think people who are happy and secure in their own lives are able to shrug it off and not criticize over it.

So, I can be sad or angry [came back to add: maybe disappointed and incredulous are better words] that people continue to send their kids to the hellhole that is the American public school system, but when I'm out walking the dog and run into the lady down the street walking her boys to the bus stop, I'm not going to tell her she's a bad mom and making the wrong choice for her kids. (Even though it's not quite 8 am and they won't be home till 4 pm, and they are 6 and 7 years old, for crying out loud.) If she ever asks me about homeschooling (that'll be that proverbial snowball in hell day, probably), I'll be happy to encourage her in that direction. But I'm not about to criticize her because she isn't doing what I do.

People who are vocal in their criticisms of homeschooling often turn out to be a little insecure because they are not so sure of their own decision to send their children to public school. [Came back to add: homeschoolers do the same thing to people who send their kids to school.]

It's not just about homeschooling, of course. I just happen to pick that topic because it's near and dear to my heart. I read a lot of criticism of stay-home moms/housewives on some blogs. I think it's funny because I can only assume this criticism comes from an unhappy person. If someone is happy they just aren't so concerned about what other people do. People who are secure in their choices don't need to convince everyone that they are right.

Do you think more homeschoolers are made by hearing people harangue them about the superiority of homeschooling, or by seeing happy, secure homeschoolers going about their business, raising educated kids?

Do you think more people will embrace Christianity by hearing people warn them that they are going to hell if they don't repent now, or by Christians quietly living their lives, worshiping and serving the Lord in whatever way they are called to do? (Now let's don't get into election vs. free will debates, 'K?)