If you would judge, understand. – Seneca
You'd want a judge that understood your breed of dog, right?
What does that mean?
I would expand this slightly to state “If you would judge, first you must understand.” I don’t know if he was carving all his quotes into stone, or if he was a minimalist, but so many of these quotes are just so terse it almost hurts!
This quote goes hand-in-hand with the quote “If you judge, investigate.” (another painfully terse quote). They say that if you are going to pass judgement on a situation or person, you should know what you’re talking about. You need to understand the situation and that is done by investigation. Asking questions, finding answers. Then you have a basis by which you can consider judging.
Why is understanding important?
Understanding is the greatest pursuit there is, in my opinion. It is usually just beyond our reach, but we work our way closer and closer. Whether it’s the secrets of the atom, the universe or human behavior, we seek to understand so that we might know how things work.
Understanding people is an interesting mix of logic and emotion. Both are needed because people are both logical and emotional, in some mixture (with exceptions of Mr. Spock (half human) and people who are suffering from some forms of mental illness). Understanding a situation also requires both, as most ‘situations’ were either caused by or still involve humans.
Where can I apply this in my life?
How often do you make a judgement and then find out the facts? I know that as a parent and even as a husband, this happens far too often. How about you, has that ever happened to you in any of the aspects of your life?
The first thing I would caution against is going quickly – avoid jumping to conclusions (that seems a reasonable term for judging without understanding). Yes, some times you need to give a rapid response, but realize that with speed comes reduced understanding, and a greater chance of an improper judgement. Understanding comes from careful examination of the information and events.
The second thing I would caution against is using your own values. Yes, you think that what happened is wrong, but who are you dealing with? Do they share the same values and the same maturity? Would you treat a five year old caught in a lie the same as a 15 year old or a 25 year old?
What if your values included the rule that drinking coffee was bad, and you saw a friend drinking coffee. Would they be bad just because you think coffee is a bad thing to drink? Substitute whiskey for coffee and re-read the sentence. Understanding comes from viewing the big picture, untainted by your own values.
The third thing I would mention is that there are always at least as many sides to a story as there are people who are involved in the incident. Each person will typically try to influence others to believe they are least to blame or deserve the most credit. Even the physical evidence can be deceiving if not carefully examined and understood. Do cars with modern ABS braking systems leave skid marks? Hmmmm.
An interesting film (Rashomon) is based on just this point. A story is told from the viewpoints of each of the four people involved, and each story is quite different. Understanding comes from careful examination of contradictory statements and seeking the truth.
The fourth thing I would like for you to consider is the emotional aspects of the situation at hand. Sometimes it is more important (in my view) to take care of the people and get them back on their feet, than it is to assess blame. This is typically more important in young kids, but can show up in older kids (and even adults) from time to time. Understanding comes from empathy and compassion for the needs of others.
I haven’t even gone into the details of complex issues (are the ’85 Bears better than [insert some inferior team name and year here]), where there are aspects that are better and some that are worse, and you have to balance these to come to your judgement. Here understanding comes from knowing the topic, or getting input from an expert you trust.
There are probably many other things to consider when making a judgement. You likely have a few you use on a regular basis. You could ask your friends how they do it, and add some of their input to the mix. It’s your life, you’ll have to figure out what is the proper mix for you. Try something, examine the results, and adjust. Repeat.
In closing, there is a lot to consider when making a judgement. There is a lot to consider, and much to lose if you perform poorly. Sometimes it truly is a no-win situation for you (like choosing between two lovers). But if you can take a little time, keep an open mind, consider each side and weigh the impact of the decision, you should do a good job of judging.
I made it sound kind of heavy, and this post is aimed more at the deeper, more involved parts of life. If you’re trying to judge the merits of one entrée over another at a restaurant, this might be overkill. For other judgements, it might be just the right thing.
From: Twitter, @PhilosophyQuotz
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/luciusanna155021.html
Photo by audrey_sel
