Judging one’s neighbor is a pastime that some people who do not understand the full extent of its harm are unable to resist. If, however, you do understand the full extent of the harm of judging, it is sinful not to restrain yourself from doing it for the sake of amusement.
It is impossible to judge how a person will act merely from the things he says. And vice versa: it is very difficult to judge from a person’s actions why he does what he does, what thoughts are in his head and what motivates his soul. If I see a person who is constantly busy, reading, writing or working from morning till night, or even someone who spends whole nights working, then I am not yet prepared to say that this person loves to work, or that he is toiling for the good of others, because I do not know why he is doing all this. After all, no one would say about a person who spends whole nights reveling with loose women that he is useful or that he loves working. And it is not just bad deeds, but also seemingly beautiful deeds that may be done for bad reasons, such as money or fame; and it is impossible to say about a person who does this that he is hard-working or useful no matter how hard he works or how renowned his deeds are. I will say that a person loves to work and is useful to people only when I find out that he is working for his own soul—for God.
But another’s soul is dark to me. How can I learn the inner motives of a human being, which are known only to him?
It follows then that a human being cannot judge another, i.e. neither condemn nor excuse, neither censure nor praise.
— Epictetus
Wishing to judge me, be not with me, but in me.
— Mickiewicz
It is just as difficult for good people to assume evil in others as it is for evil people to assume good.
Truth is forgotten in arguments. The wiser one ends the argument.
Our chief imperfection is our inner sight: we are so terribly far-sighted that we can see the bad in others but not in ourselves.
— Browne
He is truly noble who easily forgives other people’s faults while at the same time is so afraid to commit a bad deed as though he has never forgiven anyone.
— Pliny the Younger
The moment you begin judging someone, remember not to say anything bad about them, even when you are certain that they have done something bad, and especially when you do not know this but are simply repeating other people’s words.
