My salad days, when I was green in judgment.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Human judgment of human actions is true and void , that is to say, first true and then void…. The judgment of the word is true, the judgment in itself is void…. Only he who is a party can really judge, but as a party he cannot judge. Hence it follows that there is no possibility of judgment in the world, only a glimmer of it.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
Everyone complains of the badness of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
It is well, when one is judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic
The judgment is like a pair of scales, and evidences like the weights; but the will holds the balances in its hand; and even a slight jerk will be sufficient, in many cases, to make the lighter scale appear the heavier.
—Richard Whately (1787–1863) English Philosopher, Theologian
The vulgar mind fancies that good judgment is implied chiefly in the capacity to censure; and yet there is no judgment so exquisite as that which knows property how to approve.
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–70) American Poet, Historian, Novelist, Editor
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
For he that fights and runs away, may live to fight another day, but he, who is in battle slain, can never rise and fight again.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
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
Do not judge, and you will never be mistaken.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Judgments, value judgments concerning life, for or against, can in the last resort never be true: they possess value only as symptoms, they come into consideration only as symptoms—in themselves such judgments are stupidities.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
My guiding principle is this: Guilt is never to be doubted.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
We are ashamed to seem evasive in the presence of a straightforward man, cowardly in the presence of a brave one, gross in the eyes of a refined one, and so on. We always imagine, and in imagining share, the judgments of the other mind.
—Charles Cooley (1864–1929) American Sociologist
The most necessary talent in a man of conversation, which is what we ordinarily intend by a gentleman, is a good judgment. He that has this in perfection is master of his companion, without letting him see it; and has the same advantage over men of other qualifications, as one that can see would have over a blind man of ten times his strength.
—Richard Steele (1672–1729) Irish Writer, Politician
You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound or offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Every act is to be judged by the intention of the agent.
—Unknown
Lynx-eyed to our neighbors, and moles to ourselves.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
—Pierre-Marc-Gaston, duc de Levis
Never wrestle with a strong man nor bring a rich man to court.
—Common Proverb
If you judge, investigate.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
We find it hard to apply the knowledge of ourselves to our judgment of others. The fact that we are never of one kind, that we never love without reservations and never hate with all our being cannot prevent us from seeing others as wholly black or white.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
A flippant, frivolous man may ridicule others, may controvert them, scorn them; but he who has any respect for himself seems to have renounced the right of thinking meanly of others.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Three things you can be judged by, your voice, your face and your disposition.
—Ignaz Bernstein (1836–1909) Russian-Jewish Bibliophile
Organization can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgment.
—Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) American Jurist
Never be a judge between thy friends in any matter where both set their hearts upon the victory. If strangers or enemies be litigants, whatever side thou favorest, thou gettest a friend; but when friends are the parties thou losest one.
—Jeremy Taylor
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
A hasty judgment is a first step to recantation.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer