Passing Judgment

Passing judgment is something that we as rational beings do all the time. "I like Pepsi better than Coke" is an example of such a judgment. In this context passing judgment is a good and perhaps even a necessary thing.

But what about passing judgment on our fellow human beings? Do you think it's alright to pass judgment on people?

I think there is certainly a place for a properly considered, rational judgement. One can't live in reality without some measure of judgement of other human beings, and if one tried to live completely without judgement one would not only be an apathetic relativist, one would simply not be able to function. People should know whether this person or that person appears to be someone to avoid, whether someone has just committed a crime or not, or should be tried for the possibility thereof, etc.

ON THE OTHER HAND, people falsely judge people all the time. They judge people wrongly for their looks, likes, tastes, etc. They stereotype, they assume, etc. There is nothing wrong with preference "I like Pepsi better than Coke". But people often do not just state their preference, they try to make their preference a law, a universal judgement, "Pepsi rules, Coke is SHIT". I see this sort of immature ignorant judgement all the time at the Internet Move Database Forums. This movie is shit, that movie is not, etc. Certainly there is some cause to state whether the makers of certain films have been lazy, have produced a cheap product etc., but even so there is still a big difference between a film that is cheap simply because it has little budget (yet still has a plot, actors who don't just sound like they are reading their lines, etc.) and a film that is really just trying to make a quick buck off of a name and a misleading trailer, makes itself out to be more than it is, and looks like something two ten year olds made in their back yard.

So, I guess to sum up, I would say that its situational. Sometimes one has to make judgements, sometimes one should avoid it. Rationality, having common sense, and being considerate, should be our guide.

It's necessary and essential to pass judgement, the easiest example being the hiring of a babysitter for our kids, as well as trusting them with any other person. It is our responsibility to make a judgement.

And that's fine as long as we recognize that it is our judgement, that our judgement is fallible and that we are open to changing our opinion in the face of truth.

Sure it's not very nice, nor polite, and is an obvious representation of our innate xenophobia. However, no matter how rude or unjust it may be to judge people the fact remains - just as true now as it was when the first hairless monkey stepped out of that primordial African swamp - most people are idiots.

I honestly believe it's incredibly hard for any semi-intelligent, half-way reasonable, moderately practical human being not to admit the poignant truth that most humans are, essentially, mouth breathing cannon-fodder.

I assume that everyone is the Antichrist until they prove me wrong. You have to earn my trust, respect, and what not.

it's impossible to not pass judgment...work on the sentence.