A fairer judge

No one should be judge in his own case.
Publilius Syrus
1st century B.C.

When we see the words ‘judge’ and ‘case’ in the same sentence, our thoughts naturally turn to the legal system. In that context, it seems obvious that you shouldn’t be the judge for your own case. We all have a natural bias that would prevent us from being totally objective. But if you stop and think about the words of Syrus, you’ll see that they apply far beyond the legal system.

We’re often judge in our own case. And most of the time, because of our natural bias, we’re very poor judges.

Consider how we think about ourselves. It’s not possible for us to be effective or impartial judges of ourselves. More often than not, we sell ourselves short: we judge our failures too harshly and give too little credit to our accomplishments. As a result, many people suffer from low self-esteem, and it limits how much they achieve.

Another example is how we judge what’s important in life. We pursue possessions vigorously, but once we obtain them, the joy we expected isn’t there. We’ve become a materialistic society, wanting bigger houses, fancier cars, and upscale belongings. Yet once we start this pursuit, we can never be satisfied; we constantly pursue bigger prizes while the pleasure from each acquisition is smaller every time. We can’t judge what will satisfy us.

We often go down the wrong path with respect to career, friends, relationships, and life goals, and we end up squandering years of happiness in the process. Once we’ve chosen a course of action, we often become determined to prove that our initial decision was correct. We can’t adequately judge when it’s appropriate to change course.

If we’re such poor judges, what’s the answer? It’s simple: we need to recognize our inability to judge our own case, then protect ourselves by making use of trusted advisers. I’m not suggesting that you give up responsibility for your actions–just that you realize the inherent bias in your own judgment. Friends, mentors, and advisers can provide a more objective viewpoint.

Surround yourself with wise counselors and learn to use them. They’ll give you a more balanced opinion than you can give yourself.

In the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14

Copyright © 2022 John Chancellor