--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One thing I learned in sobriety is to…" description: "\"One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being judgmental, to always be discerning. When I drive, that will be my bumper sticker.\" — Kevin Sessums" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/kevin-sessums-9486_being-judgmental_one-thing-i-learned-in-sobriety-is-to-st_2757046.jpg" --- # One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being… ![“One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being judgmental, to always be discerning. When I drive, that will be my bumper sticker.” quote by Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/kevin-sessums-9486_being-judgmental_one-thing-i-learned-in-sobriety-is-to-st_2757046.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/kevin-sessums-9486_being-judgmental_one-thing-i-learned-in-sobriety-is-to-st_2757046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/kevin-sessums-9486_being-judgmental_one-thing-i-learned-in-sobriety-is-to-st_2757046.jpg) > “One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being judgmental, to always be discerning. When I drive, that will be my bumper sticker.” [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sobriety teaches non‑judgment and discernment, applying it daily as a personal mantra. **In simple terms:** Stop judging, be discerning. Key Takeaway Practice mindful observation. Themes sobriety self‑growth mindfulness Mood reflective calm Type personal advice When to use this quote - daily interactions - relationships - conflict resolution Key Concepts judgment discernment personal mantra Questions to Reflect On - How can you remind yourself to stay discerning? - What triggers judgment for you? A Different Perspective May be hard to stay non‑judgmental in stressful moments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being judgmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-judgmental/) [Bumper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bumper/) [Bumper sticker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bumper-sticker/) [Discerning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discerning/) [Judgmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgmental/) [Judgmental Discerning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgmental-discerning-3143278/) [Learned Sobriety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-sobriety-3143277/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Sobriety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sobriety/) [Sticker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticker/) [Stop Judgmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-judgmental-679844/) ## Related quotes > [I tell my children, shut up and let me speak. What I've learned, I have been married for 45 years and in my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/i-tell-my-children-shut-up-and-let-me-speak-what-i-ve-learned-i-have/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [You know that list you use to check off and judge others? Burn it! Toss it! Shred it! Accept each person as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anas/you-know-that-list-you-use-to-check-off-and-judge-others-burn-it-toss/) [Anas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anas/) > [You need to learn how to stop saying bad words about others. Put yourself in their shoes. Stop being a judgmental person. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-to-learn-how-to-stop-saying-bad-words-about-others-put/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Stop being judgmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-being-judgmental/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When we know our true nature, especially the functioning of the mind, we stop being judgmental and become an inspiration and support to others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-vazhakunnathu/when-we-know-our-true-nature-especially-the-functioning-of-the-mind/) [Thomas Vazhakunnathu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-vazhakunnathu/) > [Theres a reason behind everything...in that case stop being so judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/theres-a-reason-behind-everything-in-that-case-stop-being-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never Judge people on the looks for they can be deceiving, Never Judge people on their actions for their intentions can be good or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ng/never-judge-people-on-the-looks-for-they-can-be-deceiving-never-judge/) [John Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ng/) > [There is such a thing as righteous judgment, but it seems that lately the word 'judgment' has become a curse word, period. The issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/there-is-such-a-thing-as-righteous-judgment-but-it-seems-that-lately/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“When one says, I won't judge you for that, what they're really saying is, I am judging you for that. Think about it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/when-one-says-i-won-t-judge-you-for-that-what-they-re-really-saying/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [You better arm yourselves to answer your children's and grandchildren's questions... no matter what the question is... without being judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/you-better-arm-yourselves-to-answer-your-children-s-and-grandchildren/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Christians are viewed as being "judgmental, homophobic, moralists" who think they are the only ones going to heaven and who "secretly relish the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/christians-are-viewed-as-being-judgmental-homophobic-moralists-who/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [To say that being non-judgmental is better than being judgmental is itself a judgment, and therefore a violation of principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/to-say-that-being-non-judgmental-is-better-than-being-judgmental-is/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Being judgmental is cheap. Any fool can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/being-judgmental-is-cheap-any-fool-can-do-it/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/life-is-perfect-for-none-of-us-rather-than-being-judgmental-and/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“The next time you want to withhold your help, or your love, or your support for another for whatever the reason, ask yourself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/the-next-time-you-want-to-withhold-your-help-or-your-love-or-your/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) ## More by Kevin Sessums > [ \[Calvin Trilllin\] is not writing about things that I can criticize. I can call these other people out for what I think they are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/calvin-trilllin-is-not-writing-about-things-that-i-can-criticize-i/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [I get rejections from the New Yorker. When I had to give a little talk to the people graduating from the MBA program at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-get-rejections-from-the-new-yorker-when-i-had-to-give-a-little-talk/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [ \[Larry Kramer\] thinks Charles de Gaulle was gay. He thinks Max Schmeling was gay. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/larry-kramer-thinks-charles-de-gaulle-was-gay-he-thinks-max-schmeling/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [I was raped. That was a hard thing to write about. I never owned that part of it. 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That's a misuse of the term "shoe," which is derived from "white shoe."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-was-not-shoe-that-s-a-misuse-of-the-term-shoe-which-is-derived-from/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [My father always wanted me to be president of the United States, and his fallback position was that I not become a ward of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/my-father-always-wanted-me-to-be-president-of-the-united-states-and/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [I just so desperately wanted to be published in New Yorker, and I'd so desperately try to get something in it. But I'd always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-just-so-desperately-wanted-to-be-published-in-new-yorker-and-i-d-so/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [ We didn't know each other \[with Larry Kramer at Yale\], but we had a lot of mutual friends. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/we-didn-t-know-each-other-with-larry-kramer-at-yale-but-we-had-a-lot/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [ David Remnick \[the New Yorker's editor in chief\]is about as interested in anything gay as I am interested in anything to do with baseball.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/david-remnick-the-new-yorker-s-editor-in-chief-is-about-as-interested/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [ I believe we really became friends \[with Larry Kramer\] when we bonded at our fifteenth class reunion in 1972. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-believe-we-really-became-friends-with-larry-kramer-when-we-bonded/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [ One of the few nice things about \[time in Yale\] was you got to know people before there were labels on them, so you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/one-of-the-few-nice-things-about-time-in-yale-was-you-got-to-know/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [I wrote an essay too, and mine started something like, "When I was asked to contribute to this book, I said, 'I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-wrote-an-essay-too-and-mine-started-something-like-when-i-was-asked/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [When one person mentors, two lives are changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/when-one-person-mentors-two-lives-are-changed/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) [Explore all 72 Kevin Sessums quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) ## More Being judgmental quotes > [Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/life-is-perfect-for-none-of-us-rather-than-being-judgmental-and/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [To say that being non-judgmental is better than being judgmental is itself a judgment, and therefore a violation of principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/to-say-that-being-non-judgmental-is-better-than-being-judgmental-is/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“When one says, I won't judge you for that, what they're really saying is, I am judging you for that. Think about it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/when-one-says-i-won-t-judge-you-for-that-what-they-re-really-saying/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [You know that list you use to check off and judge others? Burn it! Toss it! Shred it! Accept each person as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anas/you-know-that-list-you-use-to-check-off-and-judge-others-burn-it-toss/) [Anas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anas/) > [There is such a thing as righteous judgment, but it seems that lately the word 'judgment' has become a curse word, period. The issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/there-is-such-a-thing-as-righteous-judgment-but-it-seems-that-lately/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“The next time you want to withhold your help, or your love, or your support for another for whatever the reason, ask yourself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/the-next-time-you-want-to-withhold-your-help-or-your-love-or-your/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [You better arm yourselves to answer your children's and grandchildren's questions... no matter what the question is... without being judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/you-better-arm-yourselves-to-answer-your-children-s-and-grandchildren/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Christians are viewed as being "judgmental, homophobic, moralists" who think they are the only ones going to heaven and who "secretly relish the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/christians-are-viewed-as-being-judgmental-homophobic-moralists-who/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Being judgmental is cheap. Any fool can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/being-judgmental-is-cheap-any-fool-can-do-it/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [Being judgmental and condemning is not one of the gifts of the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/being-judgmental-and-condemning-is-not-one-of-the-gifts-of-the-spirit/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I wonder whether our adoption of Shrink-ese as a second language, the move from religious phrases of judgment to secular words of acceptance, hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/i-wonder-whether-our-adoption-of-shrink-ese-as-a-second-language-the/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [The greatest moral failing is to condemn something as a moral failing: no vice is worse than being judgmental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/the-greatest-moral-failing-is-to-condemn-something-as-a-moral-failing/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [I tell my children, shut up and let me speak. 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The trick is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hudson-o-hanlon/when-we-endure-our-own-tragedies-or-trials-most-of-us-develop-some/) [William Hudson O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hudson-o-hanlon/) [Browse all 17 Being judgmental quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-judgmental/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being judgmental, to always be discerning. 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