Why do we tend to judge people?

Answer 1

Because we as humans feel the need to judge people, maybe even sometimes judging people because it makes us feel better about ourselves. It is not right to do, of course, but it is what we do. I can share an example that is probably completely off the wall, but it is something I have been pondering myself recently. And that is that you can look at someone not even knowing who they are, their name or anything relative to what they stand for, yet you judge them, possibly based on their occupation. For instance, there may be a person who works as a cashier and you might just be the CEO of some big company, so you look at that cashier and think wow, what a mindless job when really that person could be someone who was once a lawyer, but decided it was not for them because they were constantly defending people who they felt were guilty, in the meantime they were married and had children, so they felt it was important to quit their job as a high paid defense attorney and work as a cashier in the local supermarket, not because they are not valued as a human, or because they should be presumed to be less honorable, but because they wanted to spend more time with their family and by working at the said supermarket they get a discount to provide for their family, as well as spending a lot more time doing the things they want to do, instead of the things they have to do.

In general, we should not judge, but we do. It is an unfortunate part of human nature. No one really knows where others came from, or what they have been through, so who are we really to judge them based on just what we see?

Answer 2

It's like a 'crab in the barrel' effect. People judge people to pull themselves up so they think. However, it is a signal to let someone else know that the judging person is not well-minded. If you have people around you that also does the same then no understandings can be had. So if I said so & so thinks she's cute around my friends it would mean that I don't care for the person, but psychologically it means that I don't measure up to this person so I will try to tear her down.

To label someone stupid or anything else would only reflect on label makers and I wish that psychology was taught in grade school as well so that when one shows signs of acting out there can be help to give that is close by as in a classmate(s) and then when kids reach high school level, so too, they would have delved into deeper mental/spiritual understandings giving the world a different face than what it is now.

People do not really value life because if they did, understanding and accepting would be more in the forefront of living than being judgmental.

Answer 3

Hello!

We tend to judge people because we need to know who we are dealing with, and what to do, how to respond, and how to act.
There is nothing wrong with judging others, it is just the way we go about it.

When it comes to making judgments, some people are kind and some are not .. some people have enough experience in life to make a proper judgment. There is a saying. "Judge not lest ye be judged" which means it is possible to tell what a person is like by the kind of judgment he / she makes....... and it also has a rather unfortunate denotation of dissuading people from making
any sort of judgment at all, which is wrong.

We need to make judgments and do all the time: whether or not the bananas are fresh today, whether or not to take an umbrella, whether or not to make friends with people, if the young man who courts your daughter - over whom you slaved so hard! - is really worthy of her ... it goes on and on.

Even the question posed here presupposes that it is wrong to judge people. Therefore we must know in what context the question is asked, what gave rise to it.

A friend of mine told me of a woman who taught piano - there is nothing secret about it, it was the late Rosina Lhevine, the wife of the pianist Joseph Lhevine (sp) who was Van Cliburn's teacher
at the Juilliard School -. one day during a performance class when all the students were playing for each other, Mme. Lhevine
said, "Do you know why you are so nervous when you play for others? It is because, when you are sitting down here in the audience, you are busy thinking all sorts of nasty things about the pianist on the stage .... so when you yourself get up there, you are sure they are thinking the same nasty thoughts about you that you thought about them." Does it not follow, that maybe some people are afraid to make judgments or think it is wrong to do so because they themselves are genuinely unkind in their judgment of others?

We need to make judgments. Was it Ralp Waldo Emerson who said, "An unexamined life is not worth living

There is a difference between being nasty, vindictive, uncharitable and vicious and being cold stone sober and making the correct judgment.... what would you do, for example, if you were a member of the admissions committee for a college and had to judge which students would be happy and do well at that college ... you must make a judgment .. you must... it is your job!

And, really --- when you have been speeding down the highway and hit a couple of automobiles, totalled a little truck, and ,...
does the judge say,, "Oh, I don't wish to make a judgment ...
it's alright, dear!"

Cheers! LPM

Answer 4

Often I think it is a pre-emptive strike for personal insecurity. people somehow imagine that their critiques will label them as belonging to their version of mainstream humanity, THE NORM and all others are to be mistrusted' maligned, or censured by shunning to elevate their judges into a more positive light. It's like a grown up version of " your ugly and your mother dresses you funny" A sad one upmanship. But people can change so there is always hope. Feel free to share this theory , or just be the voice of fairness that reminds others that diversity can be a wonderful thing!

Answer 5

Because it's inherently human to want to feel superior to others which happens through judgement.

Think I'm lying? Slow down and process what *really* goes through the mind as that snap judgement heads to the fore front. Go on, I'll give you a moment. :-)

That being said, although it is one of the hardest things to overcome it can be done. It is a daily (more like hourly) process but so worth it when you realize you are opening yourself up to different types of people and experiences.

Answer 6

I so agree with everyone here who has stated that we Judge so we can fell superior to others.

Heck is the only way some people live - unfortunately.

Answer 7

Its only human to judge people . But not to judge is hard . we have to try and give people the benefit of the doubt.

Answer 8

Because they are different from ourselves. There is a huge disparity between our abstract principles and the reality of our behavior. Everyone agrees with the expression of individualism, and thinks it's alright to be different, yet underlying our everyday actions is the strife for homogeneity.

Answer 9

My very simple analogy apart from those psychological things is because we always want and demand perfection from others.
People generally become uneasy, numbed and brittle with imperfections.

Then.... from that uneasiness, we unconsciously judge others when they did not / cannot fulfill our expectation of perfection.

Answer 10

the vast majority of homo sapiens are incapable of absorbing and expressing true ecumenical ideals of existential being (though they certainly should be aware of such concepts and philosophies). therefore they revert to moral or ethical based decision making, driven largely by the ego portion of the psyche, which leads organically to qualitative, judgmental evaluations of other humans.