One way to look at life, is that it is the composition of many value judgements – made constantly. Made in moments, in split second intervals; made consciously and unconsciously; influenced by an exceptionally diverse range of things.
These can also be considered, “decisions”. Instincts play a role – a significant role. But I do think it is the sum total of these judgements, the trends in these decisions, the consistencies, that play a big role in the overall scheme of a person’s life. Much more so than the so called “big decisions” or turning points.
I have been thinking about this a lot for a while and find the whole idea pretty fascinating. Human judgement never ceases to surprise me. But I think the exciting idea to grab hold of is that we are constantly making judgements and it is these judgements that unfurl not only the present but the future. The decisions to put yourself in particular environments and company is, in my view, one of the most significant things we are constantly doing - a lot of the time "unconsciously".
Personally, I’m not sure how good a “judge” I am... We all like to think we possess great judgement, but I think the truth is, human judgement wavers wildly. Some of our judgments are based on gut, rebellion, compliance, politics… they are not always informed or “true”. But they are our judgements/ decisions nonetheless.
There is great truth in the saying that “everyone has their reasons.” It’s freedom and tragedy in one. A decision that is utterly perplexing to one person might well make sense to another for very compelling reasons. I am absorbed and intrigued by how different people make decisions. I’m curious as to how I myself make value judgements about other people. I still don’t have a “formula” for how I judge anybody (nor do I think I should - I don't believe life should be formulaic). While I might think I can read and understand a person, it is also important to understand that most people, in their public lives, "act", most of the time, so what you are seeing is a performance, of some description (most of the time).
This is a late night thread to an intricate philosophy… But if anyone cares to share their own thoughts on human judgement, I’m very keen to hear…
