“We do not need to judge nearly so much as we think we do. This is the age of snap judgments. The habit is greatly intensified by the sensational press. Twenty-four hours after a great murder there is difficulty in getting enough men who have not already formulated a judgment, to try the case. These men, in most instances, have read and accepted the garbled, highly-colored newspaper account; they have to their own satisfaction discovered the murderer, practically tried him—and sentenced him. We hear readers state their decisions with all the force and absoluteness of one who has had the whole Book of Life made luminant and spread out before him. If there be one place in life where the attitude of the agnostic is beautiful, it is in this matter of judging others. It is the courage to say: ‘I don’t know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question. Till then I suspend all judgment.’ It is this suspended judgment that is the supreme form of charity.” ~ William George Jordan
If there is one thing you take away from reading my daily posts, it is this: do not judge.
Judgment is a tool of those who do not sit upon the throne of their natural authority. It is an attempt to make sense of the world from a poor vantage point, not unlike a lost hiker who is trying to navigate after having lost his compass while walking in a heavily wooded valley. People judge for many reasons, chief among them are: (1) a lack of self-worth, (2) hubris, (3) a longing to belong and (4) jealousy.
Let’s examine those for a moment. When a person is out of position, that is, in a place where he is not revealing his highest and finest in all that he does, he is bound to compensate in some manner. Some attempt to camouflage the dislocation, putting on airs or a false front, while others withdraw into themselves so as to avoid the attention of the world around them. Either way the lack of self-worth fuels compensatory strategies that cause the individual to constantly compare himself to those round about. Many fruits of the tree of judgment come from this branch.
Others attempt to hush the haunting sounds that echo through the halls of loneliness by issuing judgments in an attempt to make friends. One of the best ways to make friends in a world where most if not all of its inhabitants are not in their position of natural authority is to declare your enemies. Declare your enemies and everyone who shares your rancor will sidle up to you for misery loves company. It is a disgusting affair centered in schadenfreude instead of love. Those who wish to study black holes need not peer through a telescope, for such phenomena occur on a daily basis in circles of supposed friends everywhere. Judgment is a cure for loneliness, but as is often the case in medicine, the cure is at times worse than the disease.
The final case is that of jealousy. Jealousy boils from the same underlying cauldron of cause, namely, being out of your natural position of authority. Think about it. If you are sitting in the place that is only yours to occupy, the last thing on your mind would be the position of others relative to you. There is a high place to which you can and should aspire. It is the seat of your inherent authority. You either sit in the seat that is yours or you sit in Moses’ seat in an effort to arrogate unto yourself your missing authority.
As convincing as those around you may be about the necessity of judgment, I say to you that judgment is not only unnecessary, it is invariably destructive. Learn to suspend judgment and the wonders of the world as it now is will open to you. The redeeming qualities of those you have condemned out of your own pettiness and self-loathing will be drawn to the foreground as the elements in them that previously irritated you retreat into the smoky shadows from whence they came.
If you’re lucky, when you cease judgment others will follow suit and stop judging you. If they don’t, be sure to stay the course. Never play to the level of those who oppose you. Basing the quality of your expression on the way you are being treated is the fastest way to find yourself out of your natural position of authority, a position which is always rooted in radiance, blessing, love and truth.
I wish to voice today my wholehearted agreement with Mr. Jordan’s assertion that suspended judgment is indeed the supreme form of charity.
What say you?
Gregory Hake 
I think there is an important distinction to be made between making judgements and being judgmental.
We all make small, medium and large judgements all the time and necessarily so. Should I put mango in the curry? Does this dress make me look fat? Is it safe to cross the road? Will I marry Tom?
In the title-story of the book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, neurologist Oliver Sachs describes Dr. P – a man who suffered from a degenerative problem in the right hemisphere of his brain.
Dr. P. was a talented musician and teacher and in many ways appeared not only normal, but, in fact, quite accomplished and capable. He himself didn’t believe there was anything the matter with him, sadly, however, this was not the case.
As a result of his neurological deterioration, Dr. P. sometimes failed to be able to tell the difference between people and other objects such as hat-stands or fire-hydrants – famously mistaking his wife’s head for his hat. However, even more catastrophic for Dr. P., was that he also lost his capacity to make ordinary judgements and this was the part of his condition that most severely impacted on everyday life. As Oliver Sacks puts it,
“He could not make a cognitive judgement, though he was prolific in the production of cognitive hypotheses. A judgement is intuitive, personal, comprehensive and concrete – we ‘see’ how things stand in relation to one another and oneself…our mental processes, which constitute our being and life, are not just abstract and mechanical, but personal as well – and, as such, involve not just classifying and categorizing but continued judging and feeling also…”
I find that the best way to avoid being judgmental and making negative judgements of others (as I am human and they do pop into my head!) is to tell myself that everybody is dancing as fast as they can. I believe that, regardless of the outcome, nobody can be asked to do more than his or her best. Therefore, no matter what I think of the actions of others, I find I can admire them for doing their best.
Works for me.
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Agreed! (and great vocabulary words!)
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How true it still is (and more so) the phenomenon of judgement that Jordan described in his day. Great topic!
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The idea that we can judge others assumes that we understand the reason why they do the things that we are judging, as well. Do we know why someone is doing something, really? You might do the same thing in their shoes. This is the hubris aspect of the equation. To think that you are, above everyone else, supremely moral, pure, etc. But you do not know the full story of anything, you do not have access to the book of life that Jordan mentioned.
The other points you made about judgement really struck a chord. There is no reason to judge. While you are hurting others by engaging in judgement, you are damaging yourself in a fundamental way as well.
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I’m with you, and with all my heart shall suspend / eliminate the use of judgement from here on in.
I greatly appreciate this coming so eloquently into the Light!
Thanks Gregg!
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I wish that in America we would honor and respect the right to freedom of speech AND the right to a fair and impartial trial. Both are necessary to live in a free republic.
Great post!
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I argree. To live without judgment might seem at first a revolutionary thought. Ironically people think it is their judgments that allow for sight while they actually are cause for their blindness. To release judgment would immediately transform any part of one’s life -much like turning on the lights.
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Most feel that to abandon judgmental opinions would be to forsake intelligence and discretion. In fact, however, the tendency to judge prevents intelligent observation and function, rather like throwing a wrench into the works, as it has been described. Things do reveal themselves over time, and it is not judgmental to notice that! Why, then, should one be so determined to be ahead of the game? Too many perfect cycles have been ruined by out-of-synch cleverness.
How would the world look if the perceptual overlay of pre-existing opinion, individual and collective, were removed? Why not “cleanse the lens” and find out?
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I totally agree with what you and Mr. Jordan are sharing with us today Gregg. You mention that suspended judgment is a form of charity; to me it is also a form of clarity. By taking judgment out of the equation, things (people, etc.) have an opportunity to actually finish. And when we allow things to finish, including thoughts and ideas, we often find that clarity is discoverd.
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Judgement makes people stupid. Deciding something is a certain way when you can’t possibly know all the side or facts means 100% of the time we’re wrong. We miss out on life’s opportunities when we are at odds with they very nature of its design. Stopping judgement is not the advice here, finding our own rightful place, where our higher self reigns like a loving sovereign, leaving the responsibility of judgement in the rightful hands of our creator is the step to be taken.
When we find our place, jealousy and hubris are not needed, as self worth and belonging are immediately felt. In this case charity does start at home. Being charitable to ourselves by relaxing into our place, that was our gift from birth, by our creator. Trust in his laws.
Wonderful post Gregg…clear message…judgement will ruin your life!
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It’s not called the forbidden fruit for nothing. Maybe if it’s called something like “poison for the soul” it will receive more respect.
Great post, this is the secret to happiness.
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It seems to me also that in looking around, there is a general malaise of people being ugly to each other. This is what is seen, so it is an effect or a symptom of a deeper issue. The symptom is not the real problem, and so it is futile to say “just get along” or to enact laws to force people to behave in a civil way. Sometimes some form of damage control though is needed, for temperaments can run hot, blinding the person to realize the horrors of their ways and this does need to be controlled and restrained, no doubt about it. There’s no telling what a person can do consumed by rage, envy or any of the characteristics you mention.
Your analysis is good medicine, for the best medicine always targets what’s causing the problem. If successful, this good medicine disassembles the corrupt origin of the disease, allowing all compensatory manifestations of the disease – the sometimes complex cascade of symptomology – to recede into nothingness. In the medical field, we are always looking to arrest medical problems utilizing these two primary strategies – damage control and causal factors. Sometimes, years of damage control has to be a primary front before causal therapy can take prominence – that’s just the way it goes, and it has alot to do with what the patient is able and willing to do.
In today’s topic, if a person refuses to suspend judgement, he/she becomes a liability to themselves and others, and so damage control type actions need to follow. Basically, some form of restraint is typically required. However, all this can be avoided, all the mess and heartache, confusion and bile, if we can simply admit to ourselves, as Mr. Jordan states, ” I don’t know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question. Till then I suspend all judgment.”
Bravo post, well done. The world over needs good medicine, where the scales of justice are balanced through humility and a deep concern for the welfare of the whole human race. Judge, jury and executioner are designed to be separate identities, yet there exist ample evidences of their distorted fusion everywhere in people’s conduct, in so many thoughtless, careless reactions.
I appreciate this spirited injunction, as it makes me ever more aware to shore up any personal inconsistencies here!
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In a world full of jealousy, judgement and flat out hatred, there is a need for wisdom and courage relative to maintaining a righteous, not self righteous stand in the midst of such attitudes. I have watched personally how devastating this is when folks are drawn together on the basis of hate, judgement and jealousy. They spiral downward, similar to the death spiral of an airplane who’s pilot has become confused relative to the planes attitude. Living in this mode will certainly bring about death. In the world of social media, this has become more prevalent as people join forces in judgment and hate, looking to destroy but hiding in the shadows to do so. I believe anyone operating this way knows ultimately the shame of being out of position, but they are compelled by misplaced concepts and judgement. The best remedy for this is as you and Jordan so adequately stated, never lower your own expression and leave your true place of authority.J believe if enough people
Maintain this position, there will be a tipping point, and no longer will there be any shadows to hide in and those who choose the death spiral will become the minority. We can only hope. Thanks for your input!
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I wholeheartedly agree! Thank you for posting on this topic.
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