Brian JohnsonChairman & Philosopher in Residence at Heroic

Heroic +1: The Zone of No Judgment: Yoda Says… (#2019)

10 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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1:25

In this Heroic Plus One episode, Brian Johnson introduces a mindfulness technique taught by his mentor Phil Stutz called the "Zone of No Judgment." He explains the practice: first, become aware of moments when you are judging yourself, others, or situations; then consciously stop the judgment and enter the "zone of no judgment," where you simply do nothing—no evaluation, just presence. Brian shares his personal experience, noting how frequently his thoughts default to judgment and how surprising it was to recognize this pattern. He reports that using the tool helped him feel a sense of shock at his own judgment habits, led to a better night’s sleep, and left him feeling refreshed. The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to monitor their judgments throughout the day, enter the zone, take a breath, smile, and stay present.

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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Heroic Plus One. Yesterday, my Yoda, Phil Stutz, and I had our first session in a while, and one of the main things we discussed was a tool he calls the Zone of No Judgment. Here's how it works. Pay attention to your thoughts. Notice how often you are judging something, someone, or yourself, and stop. Stop. Every single time you notice yourself judging someone, someone, or yourself, notice it. Then enter the zone of no judgment. What do you do when you're in the zone of no judgment? Nothing. You simply stop judging that thing, person, or yourself. Period. As I did the exercise yesterday, and when I woke up in the middle of the night, I was kind of shocked at just how often my thoughts focused on judging myself, the situation, or other people. Like jumbo shocked. I had fun using the tool and entering the zone of no judgment. I also had a really good night of sleep. That's today's plus one. If you feel so inspired, pay attention to your thoughts today. Notice how often you are judging other people, yourself, and situations. And I repeat, enter the zone of no judgment. Stop judging other people, yourself, and situations and circumstances. Take a breath, smile, and get back in the moment all day, every day, especially today.