Why do people judge others? Can you Psychoanalyze why we judge?

Question

Maybe you can put this in a simpler form of words. My question is: Why do people judge other on the acts that they themselves secretly want to do but is too scared or embarrassed to express, thus they hide it by precutting the ones who is willing to do what the judger cannot.

Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way; if I am, please steer me right. With some thought, can you please tell me the reason why people judge others?

Answer 1

People judge others both positively and negatively for a number of reasons. Some of it is legitimate. If you've been cheated by someone who displays a certain behavior, it's the right decision to evaluate (or "judge") that person based on past experience and avoid them.
If someone is evaluating you or someone based one their own repressed desires, yes that's hurtful. Both to the subject of judgment and the person doing the judging.
Why that is, who can say? We're brought up in a culture that until recently that limits and demonizes our sexuality in order that class control can be easier. At least that's my take on it. Not enough room to go into the needed detail.
If you remember the Marine neighbor in American Beauty-He's a prime example and he's not alone. People like him are dangerous to themselves and others. Avoiding them is not the wrong way.
As long as you acknowledge that you're judging him too!

Answer 2

It's probably similar to the reason people wear clothes, when all logic should determine that it is un-necessary.

People are iconical in their thinking, and most people romanticise a higher ideal for themselves. You can almost count on the fact that if you ask a person to describe themselves, they are in fact the very opposite in every facet they detail.

Most of the time, people have in fact lost conscious awareness of their own desires to do what they judge wrong in others. They've become layered in a character complex that's been learned through conditioning themselves to be what others want them to be. There is some truth to the fact that by projecting guilt toward the more conspicuous directs attention away from themselves, but the mental complex is more inlaid than that. The layers of falsehood become the ideal as people mature.

Answer 3

Judging another human being is a perhaps one of the basic instinct of man. Once a man is confronted with another living soul, the first reaction is to evaluate that person RELATIVE to oneself. Whether it is a defensive posture, a friendly approach, a survival move, man always assesses its kind.

I think this innate tendency to judge is an animal characteristic of man, that's why we are called the highest form of animal. In a purely hostile situation, a wrong judgement of another man can be dangerous and a proper evaluation is an advantage.

In the modern world, this raw instinct of judging others RELATIVE to oneself and to others continue not for suvival but for personal gratification. The act of judging only becomes obvious because of the media which make one's personal interpretation of other people reach others (who give their own interpretation) in no time at all.

Answer 4

When you judge other people, you are really judging yourself even if you don't realize it. I don't quite agree that everyone judges a person because they secretly want to do what they're doing, but I do believe that it's easier to judge people if you are excessively for or against something. On a personal note, every time I realize that I'm being judgmental, I do ask myself what is the motivating factor.

Answer 5

The ones that judge have empty lives and don't think that much of themselves,
I don't have time to worry about what anyone else does-
I'm so wrapped up in what I'm doing-
People usually judge cos of their own weaknesses
If you really don't like someone, wouldn't you just ignore them

Answer 6

We judge each other for a practical purpose: to determine whether that person is compatible with ourselves, and whether that person is "safe" for us. We must do that from our own experience - we don't have anyone else's perspective, after all. I believe it takes more intelligence and effort to look at another person with an open mind than many people are willing to exert on a regular basis. We have to make an extra effort to put ourselves in someone else shoes, and I think many people aren't willing to make that effort.

Answer 7

I think we judge others in order to feel better about ourselves.....or to justify our actions.
Like for example, if we have an older model car.....we judge those who have brand new cars....we might say...it's a waste of money or that they might barely make the payments...just to feel better about our crappy car.
I think those that we judge....it's a reflection of ourselves....otherwise we probably would even notice them...we would go about with our lives.

Answer 8

People judge because it makes them feel better about themselves.

Answer 9

its all about animals we judge each other to see who is dominant, the leader of the pack.
but I find that most people who think others are jealousy of something they are doing because they are afraid of doing it, are incorrect. i'm sure some people don't want to do what other people are doing and some do, but to assume that the person is jealous is arrogant. which might begin to explain why this person is judging you.

Answer 10

We have to make judgments about circumstances, and most circumstances result from people's actions.

If a circumstance impacts us with respect to others, we need to make sure we judge people's actions and not their personalities.