Many common sayings warn us against being judgmental: “Judge not, lest ye be judged,” is one familiar directive, underscoring the vulnerabilities of human judgments to distortion and bias and reminding us of our own exposure to others’ negative judgments. Nevertheless, we continue to make judgments, both positive and negative, because we have evolved to do so. In this talk psychologist Dr Terri Apter, former Senior Tutor at Newnham College, describes a 'judgment meter' at work in our brains, emerging in infancy and shaping our relationships with parents, children, spouses and colleagues throughout our lives. Rather than trying to suppress judgmental activity, we should respect its power as an inevitable feature of the human mind.

22 Oct - Praise And Blame

University of Cambridge