People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
A judgment about life has no meaning except the truth of the one who speaks last, and the mind is at ease only at the moment when everyone is shouting at once and no one can hear a thing.
—Georges Bataille (1897–1962) French Essayist, Intellectual
Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see, but only a few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are, and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
I have tried to make all my acts and commercial moves the result of definite consideration and sound judgment. There were never any great ventures or risks. I practiced honest, slow-growing business methods, and tried to back them with energy and good system.
—Marshall Field (1834–1906) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson, Philanthropist
How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly!
—Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–65) English Novelist, Short-Story Writer
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
When you meet a man, you judge him by his clothes; when you leave, you judge him by his heart.
—Russian Proverb
We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Even God doesn’t plan to judge a man till the end of his days, why should you and I?
—Unknown
Everyone complains of the badness of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
My guiding principle is this: Guilt is never to be doubted.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
One out of four people in this country is mentally imbalanced. Think of your three closest friends. If they seem okay, then you’re the one.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist
Every act is to be judged by the intention of the agent.
—Unknown
Don’t mind anything that anyone tells you about anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for yourself.
—Henry James (1843–1916) American-born British Novelist, Writer
It is commonly seen by experience that excellent memories do often accompany weak judgements.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
A hasty judgment is a first step to recantation.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
If you judge, investigate.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins.
—American Indian Proverb
It is with our judgments as with our watches: no two go just alike, yet each believes his own.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
—Donald Rumsfeld (1932–2021) U.S. Secretary of Defense
We are firm believers in the maxim that for all right judgment of any man or thing it is useful, nay, essential, to see his good qualities before pronouncing on his bad.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Do not judge, and you will never be mistaken.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Be curious, not judgmental.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
But men never violate the laws of God without suffering the consequences, sooner or later.
—Lydia Maria Child (1802–80) American Abolitionist, Writer
When one cannot appraise out of one’s own experience, the temptation to blunder is minimized, but even when one can, appraisal seems chiefly useful as appraisal of the appraiser.
—Marianne Moore (1887–1972) American Poet
Men are more apt to be mistaken in their generalizations than in their particular observations.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
In our judgment of human transactions, the law of optics is reversed; we see the most indistinctly the objects which are close around us.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
The average man’s judgment is so poor, he runs a risk every time he uses it.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor