Why You Really Should Judge People

One of my great joys as a self-help writer is to take a classic life advice cliche and pick a fight with it. These ideas have meaning and value, and there’s usually a good reason they persist. But if we never challenge them or give them any nuance, we can slip into problematic patterns while losing the original intent of those ideas. 

And that’s why I think you really should judge people.

You want to tell me, “Don’t judge people,” right? Judging people is bad, and you shouldn’t do it. We say this to each other all the time. It is such standard advice that you don’t even need to think twice about it. Some of us are so sure of this notion as to say things like, “I NEVER judge anyone.”

It’s an honorable intention to be so kind, tolerant, and accepting as never to make snap judgments about others. But, unfortunately, it’s also complete crap.

Every one of us makes judgments constantly, every day. We judge places, situations, ideas, and, yes, people. The good news is, that’s completely okay. Not just that, it’s essential to a healthy life.

Think Fast!

Daniel Kahneman describes the human mind as a partnership of two interconnected systems in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow. He calls them System 1 and System 2.

System 2 handles our deep thinking, complex processing, and evaluation of ideas. It is relatively slow and energy-consuming but also reliable and accurate.

System 1, mainly operating in the more primitive parts of the brain, works quickly and delivers assessments and info right when we need them. Its speed is both a strength and a weakness. It functions on limited information and simple rules to help us respond to situations quickly. In other words, it judges. Often to life-saving effect.

System 1 is constantly making judgments to help keep us happy and healthy. Think of when you pull your hand back from a hot stove, startle at the sight of an unexpected animal or bug, jump out of the way of a speeding car, or turn away from rotten food. That’s System 1, making quick-action judgment calls to keep you safe and thriving long before System 2 shows up.

System 2 is reliable but inefficient. System 1 lacks precision but makes up for it with speed. We need both of these working together for a thriving life.

Is Judging Someone a Bad Thing?

But what about people? How does all this overly-academic fluff relate to Beth’s friends sitting around after she leaves, judging her new boyfriend? That’s still a bad thing, right?

Yes and no.

In the sense of the above example, yeah. It’s lousy to use your quick observations and impressions of people to look down on them. And if that was all it meant to “judge,” then we should aim never to do it.

But that’s not all it means. Remember, System 1, our fast-thinking mind, exists to make quick and efficient calls about our environment to keep us safe. And that’s an invaluable device when it comes to interacting with other people.

Judgment helps us spot the difference between a friend and a salesperson on the job. Both may recommend products to us, but we treat those recommendations very differently.

It also helps us spot whether Beth’s new sweetie is a generally good dude or someone to watch out for. Because we love Beth and we want her to be safe and well.

When we speak with friends, family, and coworkers, judgment tells us whether the interaction feels normal and reasonable, or uncomfortable and in some way (either physically or emotionally) dangerous. System 2 may acquire more information and adjust these judgments over time, but it’s no less essential to have something to work with. 

Yeah But Like, You Still Shouldn’t Judge Though, Right?

“But,” you say from your comfy chair, “this whole article is just a bunch of semantics. You know what people mean by ‘judging’ others, and that’s still a lame thing to do.”

I get it. The pastime of looking down on others is garbage. It does just as much harm to the person doing it as it does to the person on the receiving end.

The point is to separate this insecure behavior from the helpful mechanism of reading your environment, including the people you interact with, and watching for crucial warning signs. Judge, but don’t judge.

I share your aspiration to do well by others and not senselessly put them down for your own hollow gain. But don’t let yourself or others use the phrase “don’t judge people” to guilt you out of trusting your gut, listening to your instincts, and knowing when something seems off. Instincts aren’t everything, but they do matter.

If someone you know decides to start dressing in clown pants (and I don’t mean silly pants, I mean full-blown, mismatched rainbow-colored Auguste clown pants) for everyday wear, it’s not for you to judge them as lesser than you because of that choice.

But if that same person starts wearing John Wayne Gacy-style, weirdly jagged and pointy-looking clown makeup, and in your heart, you know it feels scary even if you’re not sure why, trust your judgment.

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Hey, I’m Sam. I created Smarter and Harder to explore big ideas, both old and new, about building a better life. My mission is to evolve the conversation about personal growth and have fun doing it.

6 thoughts on “Why You Really Should Judge People”

  1. Absolutely agree! It is SO important to listen to your gut & also so important not to invalidate the concerns of others with “don’t judge”. Love it… as usual!

    Reply
    • haha, I suppose I’ll have to warn all my clown friends then. but you’ve cut right to the point there – clowns are a great example of something that gives many people a gut feeling that something is “off.” it’s not always accurate, but it’s a good signal to pay attention to!

      Reply
  2. I like this idea. I appreciate how you articulated it since yes, we have always been told not to judge people so seeing the title of this post, my eyebrows immediately shot up. You contradicted a saying that seems to stem from kindness, a core value, very well. It is not unkind to listen to your instincts; in fact, it is necessary and can protect you. This idea should be used with discretion to make you are not making unfair judgments and allowing them to entirely cloud your perspective, yet this is a valid and smart approach. Great post, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • well I’m glad it caught your attention! and I think you’re spot on – discretion is key. it’s great to abide by common sense, but to remember to challenge it as well.

      Reply

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