On Learning to See Without Judging
What does it mean to witness rather than judge? How do we continue becoming who we choose to be while living among those who see us only as who we were?
Chapter 10: Witness
What does it mean to witness rather than judge?
How do we continue becoming who we choose to be while living among those who see us only as who we were?
Chapter 10, "Witness," explores these questions through my journey as a young man from the chaos of an Indian train to the quiet complexities of a Georgia Fourth of July celebration.
It's the culmination of a three-chapter arc that began with "Avatāra"—examining what happens when we shed old ways of seeing and must learn to navigate the world with fresh eyes.
The chapter grapples with a familiar tension:
How to live authentically while surrounded by people whose certainties we no longer share.
Rather than advocate for any particular position, it asks how we might observe our circumstances with what I'd call "compassionate curiosity"—watching what unfolds around us while continuing to inquire within ourselves.
The Stone Mountain sequence, in particular, examines the difference between participating and witnessing.
Some readers may find political resonance in current moments, but my aim is more fundamental: exploring how we maintain our humanity when we can no longer join the chorus, when standing becomes impossible but condemnation feels equally fraught.
As always, I'm grateful for your thoughtful feedback and patience with this ongoing work. This particular chapter took four months to develop—beginning beside a pool in Bali, evolving through countless revisions as events unfolded both personally and globally.
And, yes—America.
Thank you for your continued support. Your engagement helps me understand how these ideas are understood beyond my own experience.
— Cart