“A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.”

—H.L. Mencken, 20th Century American journalist and critic

Image from Flickr

Judging others is fundamental to being human. Consider this list of TV shows:

• Judge Judy
• The People’s Court
• Divorce Court
• Judge Mathis
• Kid’s Court

This is just a handful of the dozens of court programs over the years. If you add to this list the hundreds of shows that involve the process of judging singers, dancers, and other forms of competitions, you’ll become tired of counting.

It seems that judging others through the interpretation of the law and perhaps by our own standards of right and wrong and good and bad is fundamental to being human.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently Judge and Jury in your personal and professional life? What standards beyond your own beliefs, opinions, and experiences do you use to guide the decisions and verdicts you hand down to those in your communities?