Judgment

Knowledge is power, but knowledge alone, however voluminous, is insufficient. It is judgment that tells us how best and when best to apply our knowledge.

We are often faced with choices of competing value, where both options have merit, but where a decision has to be made. It is judgment much more than knowledge that helps us make the decision.

Good judgment goes beyond facts and statistics. Good judgment considers fairness, equities, repercussions, perspective and proportionality.

Good judgment is not something simply learned in school. It is learned through living and experiencing life. It is learned through values.

And it is learned through losses and mistakes. We have all experienced losses and we have all made mistakes. There is always something to be learned from a loss or a mistake.

Discussion

• When did you last have to exercise your judgment?

• What were the competing considerations?

• What did you consider beyond facts and statistics?

• How did things turn out?

• In retrospect, did you make the right decision, and if not, was there something you failed to properly consider?