Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
Seriously can you even conceive of what it would be like? It is hard to go for 10 seconds without judging someone about something.
And I want to go into that.
And I want to go into that.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
A world without judgment
- Thread starter Just_me_Mike
- Start date
Levite
Higher and Higher
Fortunately, Judaism does not teach that one should refrain from judging altogether. Fortunate, because I personally believe such a goal is entirely unrealistic and impossible. What Judaism does teach is that one should judge with compassion and with mercy and with lovingkindness, tempered by justice. And if one does judge someone else as lacking in some way, Judaism teaches that one may only state such an opinion or confront the person with your opinion of them in certain well-defined circumstances, lest one be party to slander, defamation, or other kinds of humiliating behavior-- otherwise, one ought to keep one's opinions to oneself.
I don't believe there could ever be a world without judgment. I think it is much more realistic and productive to try to temper our judgment rather than overcome the instinct to judge.
I don't believe there could ever be a world without judgment. I think it is much more realistic and productive to try to temper our judgment rather than overcome the instinct to judge.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
What a boring world that would be.
Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
So let's do it, you go first...
SHANMAC
Member
A world without judgment would be chaos. At some point, somewhere, someone has to render a judgment as to what is acceptable/unacceptable behavior. If that does not happen, the sociopath, pedofile, etc. would have free reign to terrorize anyone and everyone that comes across their path.
Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
Ah you see I thougt about that too.
There are more of us than them, so if we just let our instincts do what they do for us, we would most likely kill them by nature, so I don't see a problem with them
Raithie
atheist
... you don't "see a problem" with people running through murdering and raping people? Even if others did kill them afterwards? Such a society is profoundly unstable...
You're also assuming that you (or the majority) wouldn't do such a thing. If everyone ran by instincts, you might not work as you would think.
Thesavorofpan
Is not going to save you.
Without Judgement we wouldn't have law and order in this world.
Satans_Serrated_Edge
Deicidal
A world without judgement? Have you considered the implications of that?
We judge everything, all day every day. From what constitutes 'good' stuff/ideas/behaviors to what sort of clothing looks good and what looks ridiculous. I would say if a 300 pound woman in a micro-bikini were to cross your path you might formulate an opinion about that. And even if you were not to bat an eye(maybe you're a chubby chaser) and think that was a-ok, you still have made a judgment! Or is it only judgments you perceive as negative that you don't like? But what if the next fella doesn't agree with your assessment? What if what you see as a negative judgement someone else sees as a positive one? Thus it descends into subjectivity.
Stop judging? Fat chance.
We judge everything, all day every day. From what constitutes 'good' stuff/ideas/behaviors to what sort of clothing looks good and what looks ridiculous. I would say if a 300 pound woman in a micro-bikini were to cross your path you might formulate an opinion about that. And even if you were not to bat an eye(maybe you're a chubby chaser) and think that was a-ok, you still have made a judgment! Or is it only judgments you perceive as negative that you don't like? But what if the next fella doesn't agree with your assessment? What if what you see as a negative judgement someone else sees as a positive one? Thus it descends into subjectivity.
Stop judging? Fat chance.
It might be easier to say that we shouldn't condemn others. Judging is one thing, condemning them is another thing altogether. I judged myself today- should I be here debating on the RF or should I wipe down the counters in the kitchen and vacuum. They both won, I did both things.
What does a judge do in court? She or he mediates. It is the jury that either condemns or doesn't condemn.
What does a judge do in court? She or he mediates. It is the jury that either condemns or doesn't condemn.
Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
Is rape a problem with me and murder. I suppose if I lived in a non-judgmental world those trying to rape or murder me would just have to find out. Ya know?
I have no doubt the world would not work "like I think", it would be completely natural and I bet the planet would be in a much better place than it is today.
The moment we judge another we open up the doors to more murder. If instead we just killed those that try to murder us, the issue is done. The issue is NEVER done when we make a rule, and then that rule needs interpreting, and then well... You end up with the USA.
Comicaze247
See the previous line
These statements themselves are judgments
Not necessarily. "Judgments" are based on points of view, and as human beings, our points of view are limited. If we begin to function based on fact rather than judgment, the world would be a much better place.
Let's take sociopaths, as you brought up. Sociopaths are scientifically proven to have defects in their brain, rendering unable to sympathize or feel emotion. As it is a biological problem, it cannot be denied as fact.
Compare that to a person who seems to care little for the feelings of others, and there are many different points of view. "He's just misunderstood." "He's just acting out for attention." "He's just an *******." Those are judgments.
Not true. There are laws that are based on judgments, but there are also laws that are based on whether or not things are functional.
Laws against killing others:
Whether or not killing another is "right" is a judgment. Perhaps it was for the greater good (execution of dangerous criminals). That is a judgment.
But the fact that killing another human being is dysfunctional has been established for eons. Think about when human beings were still hunters and gatherers. The tribe's survival was dependent on everyone participating in hunting and gathering. It was dependent on numbers to defend the tribe against threats like predators, or if there was a natural disaster. Killing another human being would be detrimental to the survival of the tribe as a whole, and therefore, dysfunctional. That is a fact.
Laws about weapons:
Laws made about weapons based on lethality is a fact. The killing power of a weapon is a measurable fact. You can kill someone with a sharpened pencil, but it's pretty difficult. You can kill someone with a bazooka with ease. Hence why pencils are legal, and bazookas aren't.
But laws made on whether or not certain weapons cause more or less crime, as of now, is a judgment. There have not been enough studies done to prove anything. There are areas that have gun-ban laws that have higher crime rates, and there are those that have lower crime rates.
Last edited:
OK. I decided to start by not judging myself and see how that goes.
So far, I'm liking it.
Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
It is almost zen like, but that would be a judgment too.
Bruce Lee was big on saying we can not look at something without naming it, and naming something causes fear.
I can't help but feel that is true as I try to not judge, even not judging myself is quite hard.
I agree with what Levite said. A world without judgement is unrealistic, but if we were all to judge with love, compassion, understanding etc. the world would be a much better place to live in.
Just_me_Mike
Well-Known Member
Sadly too many people will hold the process up at deciding what love, compassion, and understanding are. Some people like to stop progress by pretending they are asking serious questions, thus rendering any progress mute...
Raithie
atheist
If noone judged, the world would not be a better place. Comicaze247 pointed out that laws are also based on functionality - but in order to recognise what's functional, you have to use judgement.
If you just killed someone that tried to murder you, the issue is not done.
If everyone is running purely by instincts, they immediately become much more susceptible to emotions, and I would think, become much more prone to act accordingly to them, without drawing on proper judgement.
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
There is a big difference between the Law... and being judgemental.
On a site like this, the arguments that unfold invite us to be judgemental.... so we are.
In every day life I am not in the least concerned about what others do or think.
I am certainly not easily drawn to be judgemental at a personal level.
Having strong views is again quite different to being judgemental.
Other people are just as free to have strong views that differ from mine as I have about theirs.
Fortunately this is a free country.
On a site like this, the arguments that unfold invite us to be judgemental.... so we are.
In every day life I am not in the least concerned about what others do or think.
I am certainly not easily drawn to be judgemental at a personal level.
Having strong views is again quite different to being judgemental.
Other people are just as free to have strong views that differ from mine as I have about theirs.
Fortunately this is a free country.
Comicaze247
See the previous line
But the way we're talking about "judgment" (from what I can gather, at least) is in terms of judging values, not fact.
"Judging" whether or not something works and "judging" whether something is "good or bad" are two different things.
A gun is designed to fire a bullet, hopefully hurting or killing one's intended target.
If it does what it is designed to do, then it is functional. That's not a judgment, it's a fact.
"Guns are too dangerous!" and "Guns are fine!"
Are value judgments. Two different things.