25

Judgement

Why are people persuaded that others judgement is better then their own?

Why do we read second and third hand what others say and believe them?

How many times have you read a review for a film, or seen it advertised and think it looks good, only to go watch it and wonder what all the fuss was about, as it was second rate?

This is because we listen to others judgement and do not think for ourselves.

Other people have their point of view, yes, but I also have my own point of view and will pass judgement, myself, as I see fit. Life has become full of advertisements for everything. A review, if it is a good review, is in fact an advertisement for that product or person.

The build up to something, be it a live performance or a book or film, has become paramount to those who have expended the money to make the product or person. They need to get their money back and more, so they will tell you how wonderful the product or person is.

In the case of people worship and spending a fortune to go see someone you have been told is wonderful, if ultimately you are disappointed it does not really affect the sponsors, they have had your money.

So how do we make our own judgements? We can only do that if we know a person or product personally. So we trust our own judgement and do not believe what others tell us second, third fourth hand……. etc, etc. Don’t forget “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”.

It is time we got selective and on the Guardian website there is a rather unusual young man who has set himself up as a film critic. He has a blog and he goes to the cinema as often as he can and writes reviews about what he sees. The difference with this young man is he is not getting paid by anyone. He is independent. In fact he is doing what I attempt to get others to do, he is thinking for himself and giving you his thoughts without gaining materially from it. This has to be a step forward.

So often we see authors receiving prizes, artists work being sold for astronomical amounts and footballers getting paid extortionate amounts of money for a game a week. We are told who to follow on Twitter and Facebook without hardly ever having first hand information, i.e. knowing the person or product to be able to form our own conclusions.

Most television programmes which showcase stars giving you their point of view means you are not forming your own point of view but sitting there listening to what others think? Is this entertainment? For me it is not.

Life is far easier if you do insist on forming your own decisions. You have no need to buy expensive magazines or anything that will not work as the advertisements tell you it should. You do not have to go out and buy expensive food ingredients to make something you might not even like as much as good old fish and chips. In fact you are released from listening to other people and taking their points of view as sacred because believe me they are not.

Don’t forget “ what is good for the goose may not be good for the gander”.

The subject of judgement is a really wide reaching one and can invade every aspect of our lives, but it is only one simple action which absolutely changes you forever. Rely on no one, find out for yourself. If you cannot see or hear a person live and cannot speak to that person how can you form an opinion of them? Insist on only forming judgements which are first hand. Never again take someone elses world for it and your life will become simpler and you will become richer, in all ways.