Why We Judge: The Science Behind Our Innate Judgment

Shah Mohammed
7 min readAug 18, 2023

From the moment we encounter new people, ideas, or situations, our minds instinctively begin to process and categorize information. This cognitive reflex is what we commonly refer to as judgment. As social beings navigating a complex world, our tendency to form judgments is deeply ingrained in our evolutionary history. Whether we’re aware of it or not, judgment is a ubiquitous aspect of human behaviour, influencing how we perceive, interact, and make decisions. In this exploration, we delve into the intricate web of judgment, understanding its evolutionary origins and the intricate ways it shapes our perceptions and interactions.

The Evolutionary Roots

In the crucible of human evolution, judgment emerged as a fundamental survival mechanism. Our ancestors, navigating treacherous landscapes and unpredictable encounters, relied on lightning-fast judgments to determine friend from foe and danger from safety. Picture a prehistoric scene: a small group of early humans encounters an unfamiliar creature. In the blink of an eye, their brains assess potential threats and opportunities, triggering an instinctive fight-or-flight response. This instinctive judgment allowed our forebears to swiftly gauge situations and make split-second decisions that could mean the difference between life and death.

But the role of judgment extended beyond individual survival — it was also a cornerstone of group dynamics. Early humans lived in close-knit communities where forming alliances, sharing resources, and cooperating were essential for collective survival. The ability to judge who was trustworthy, who posed a threat, and who could contribute to the group’s well-being was crucial. Those who could accurately assess others’ intentions and capabilities were more likely to thrive within the group and pass down their genes.

In this backdrop of uncertainty, our ancestors honed their judgment skills, adapting to a changing environment and learning to decipher social cues. This biological legacy has left an indelible mark on our present-day psychology, influencing how we form impressions, interact with others, and make decisions. As we delve deeper into the intricacies of judgment, we uncover how these ancient instincts intertwine with our modern lives, sometimes shaping our perceptions in ways we may not even realize.

Consider the swift judgments we form when meeting someone new — an ingrained habit passed down through generations. In a matter of seconds, we assess attire, demeanor, and facial expressions, all influenced by our evolutionary tendency to decipher whether an individual poses a threat or offers an opportunity for connection. Yet, these judgments often happen unconsciously, shaping our initial impressions before we’ve exchanged a single word.

These ancient instincts manifest not only in face-to-face interactions but also in our digital landscapes. As we scroll through social media platforms, our brains rapidly assess and categorize the information we encounter. Posts, images, and comments are swiftly filtered through our internal judgment mechanisms, impacting our perceptions of others and shaping the connections we form.

Our innate inclination to categorize and judge can also colour our perceptions of diversity and unfamiliarity. Evolution favoured the familiar, as the known was often safer than the unknown. In our modern world, these biases can unconsciously influence our perceptions of individuals from different backgrounds, creating barriers to genuine understanding and collaboration.

While the modern world offers countless opportunities for connection and growth, it’s essential to recognize that our ancient instincts can cloud our perceptions in subtle and unnoticed ways. By understanding the intricate dance between our evolutionary past and our contemporary lives, we gain the power to question, challenge, and transcend the biases that may inadvertently shape our interactions.

The Cognitive Efficiency

The concept of cognitive efficiency plays a pivotal role in our propensity for snap judgments. Cognitive economy refers to our brain’s natural inclination to conserve mental resources by relying on efficient mental shortcuts and heuristics. However, this efficiency-driven mechanism often intertwines with our tendency to judge, shaping our perceptions and interactions in ways we might not fully grasp.

Consider the overwhelming amount of information bombarding us daily — a deluge of stimuli that our brains must process. To manage this flood, our minds employ cognitive shortcuts, allowing us to swiftly categorize and make sense of the world around us. These shortcuts are like mental “rules of thumb” that help us process information more rapidly than if we were to engage in deep analytical thinking for every decision.

However, this efficiency-driven process has a trade-off — snap judgments. When we encounter a new person, situation, or idea, our brain often relies on these shortcuts to quickly assess and categorize it. These shortcuts, known as heuristics, draw upon our past experiences and patterns, enabling us to make decisions without expending excessive mental energy.

Yet, this very process can inadvertently give rise to cognitive biases. Our reliance on heuristics can lead to oversimplification, leading us to make judgments based on incomplete or skewed information. For example, if we encounter a person wearing formal attire, our brain might quickly categorize them as “professional,” potentially overlooking the nuances of their personality and expertise.

Another example — the “anchoring bias” causes us to rely heavily on the first piece of information we encounter when making decisions. If someone describes a new colleague as “enthusiastic,” our subsequent interactions might be coloured by this initial impression. Similarly, the “confirmation bias” inclines us to seek out information that aligns with our preexisting beliefs, inadvertently reinforcing our judgments.

These snap judgments influence various aspects of human behavior, from forming first impressions to making decisions about who to trust. The cognitive economy’s role in this process is profound — it affects our perceptions, interactions, and choices in ways that often remain hidden from our conscious awareness.

By recognizing the influence of cognitive economy on our snap judgments, we empower ourselves to engage in a more conscious and deliberate decision-making process.

Social Comparison: A Human Yardstick

In our exploration of the intricacies behind our innate tendency to judge, there’s another compelling factor deeply embedded within human nature — social comparison. This phenomenon acts as a multifaceted prism through which we view ourselves and others, influencing our judgments, motivations, and perceptions.

The social comparison begins early in life. Children assess their peers’ abilities, appearances, and possessions, instinctively gauging their own worth in relation to those around them. As we mature, this inclination to measure ourselves against others persists, influencing various aspects of our lives, including our judgments of ourselves and those around us.

Positive and negative judgments often arise from this process of social comparison. On the one hand, positive comparisons can inspire us to set higher standards, driving personal growth and ambition. Observing someone’s achievements can motivate us to strive for similar accomplishments, propelling us to reach our full potential.

However, the flip side emerges when negative comparisons take center stage. In the vast landscape of social media, the tendency to compare our behind-the-scenes with others’ carefully curated highlights can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. We may unfairly judge ourselves, assuming others possess more success, happiness, or talent — a phenomenon dubbed the “highlight reel effect.”

Furthermore, the tendency to compare ourselves can extend to judgments of others. Envy or insecurity might prompt us to make negative judgments about those we perceive as having surpassed us. This can unwittingly lead to bias, prejudice, and misunderstanding, as our own insecurities color our perceptions of others.

Understanding the dual nature of social comparison empowers us to harness its positive aspects while mitigating its potential pitfalls. By recognizing that comparing ourselves to others is a natural and deeply rooted behaviour, we can take steps to cultivate self-compassion and empathy. Embracing our uniqueness and celebrating the diversity of human experiences enables us to navigate social comparisons with a balanced perspective that uplifts and enlightens ourselves and those around us.

Cultural and Environmental Influences

Within the matrix of our innate judgment, a factor of profound influence comes to light — the dynamics of cultural and environmental influences. These powerful currents weave their threads through our perceptions, subtly steering the course of our judgments and interactions in ways often concealed from our conscious awareness.

Cultural and environmental influences begin their shaping journey early, imprinting our beliefs, values, and behaviours during our formative years. The family milieu, societal norms, religious practices, and historical contexts collectively sculpt our worldview. These influences become the looking glass through which we interpret the world, forming the foundation for our judgments.

Consider a simple example — the concept of punctuality. In some cultures, arriving on time is an unwavering expectation, while in others, flexibility reigns. These cultural norms embed themselves in our psyche, affecting our snap judgments when evaluating someone’s timeliness. What might appear disrespectful in one cultural context could be completely acceptable in another, influencing our immediate perceptions.

Consider the notion of beauty — a concept that varies remarkably across cultures and epochs. What one culture reveres as aesthetically pleasing might differ drastically from another’s perspective. These differences in cultural standards often manifest in our judgments of appearance, reflecting the norms ingrained during our upbringing.

Moreover, cultural and environmental influences extend beyond aesthetics, permeating our attitudes toward diverse aspects of life. Our beliefs about authority, gender roles, and even right and wrong are often deeply rooted in these contexts, leading to judgments that align with our cultural frameworks.

Furthermore, environmental factors interact with culture to refine our judgments. Geographic landscapes, economic conditions, and local customs forge distinct perspectives within communities. An environment characterized by scarcity might prompt quick judgments about resource allocation, while one of abundance could cultivate different reactions.

However, the influence of cultural and environmental factors is not without its pitfalls. The judgments we form can be skewed by ethnocentrism — an inclination to view our own culture as superior. These biases can lead to misunderstandings, perpetuating stereotypes and erecting barriers to empathy and understanding.

In unraveling the science behind our innate judgment, we’ve journeyed through a labyrinth of factors — evolution, cognitive efficiency, social comparison, and cultural influences — each weaving its intricate thread into our perceptions and interactions. This exploration reveals the dual nature of judgment — an ancient survival tool that can sometimes lead to biases.

However, armed with awareness, we hold the key to transcend these biases. Through introspection, empathy, and an open mind, we can navigate the interplay between our past and present, fostering connections that bridge understanding over judgment. As we tread this path, we embrace the complexity of our minds and the richness of diverse perspectives, unveiling a world where empathy flourishes and judgment recedes.

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