Here’s a useful thought for the holidays as we get together with friends and family over food and drinks: other peoples’ food choices aren’t your business. Unless people ask your advice, keep your food judgements to yourself. I mean best yet, don’t make them, but if you make them, no need to share.
You just can’t assume you know what choices people are making or why they’re making them. It’s wrong to assume everyone is trying to “be good” over the holidays.
A parent I’m friends with on Facebook talked about teaching her children the “keep your eyes on your own plate” rule. That’s an important lesson for adults too.
Ragen Chastain has a broader principle, not just about food, but about other people’s life choices generally. She dubs it the “underpants rule.” You’re the boss of your own underpants and that includes what goes on your plate.
Here Pesky Chloe on Facebook illustrates the rule:
Love this! Every morning i’m questioned over my portion size of breakfast, I respond are you eating it? No, so why does it bother you.
Also if you refuse something like a bit of chocolate, instantly people jump on you, are you on a diet? When it’s sometimes you just don’t fancy it.
I also hate when people are like ‘oh well if you’re not having any, I wont either’ because its clear they want it, so just go for it, it doesn’t matter, no-one is judging but you!
Wow– we need to enact underpants rule legislation as federal law.