Other people are a mirror.
The more judgey we are toward them, the more likely we are just like them but completely unaware of it.
This was something that took me a long time to understand. Sometimes other people are jerks and I would wonder, does thinking this mean I am a jerk too?
Sometimes, yes. But not always.
The mirror shows up when we are triggered emotionally by what someone else is doing. Are you feeling extra critical or angry? Probably a mirror and you are just like them.
But if you’re simply observing the behaviour and recognizing it without emotion, then likely it’s not there to teach you about yourself.
The emotional trigger is the key. When it shows up, that says something about you. It’s your job to figure out what the message is.