Two Kinds of Judgement
21 hours ago
- There are two types of judgment: one where judging you accurately is the goal (e.g., court cases, grades), and another where judgment is a means to an end (e.g., college admissions, hiring).
- In the second type, selectors focus on building a good overall set rather than perfectly evaluating each individual, so misjudgments are common and not necessarily unfair.
- Viewing judges as customers rather than authorities reduces expectations of fairness, similar to accepting that readers may prefer a potboiler over a good novel.
- Realizing most judgments are not about you personally can boost confidence and reduce the sting of rejection.
- Less personal reaction to rejection can improve outcomes by encouraging proactive self-promotion, especially in contexts like college applications.