Identify whose judgments matter. The same people’s judgment doesn’t matter for everything. For example, if your best friend was a lawyer, their judgment would be much more influential on things that they relate to the law than on medical procedures.
Common Confusion on Judgment Valuation:
- Lumping all judgments together and equally valuing them
- Lack of clarity in whose judgments are truly warranted and matters
- Separating the signal and the noise.
The calibrating whose judgement we value and to what extent can influence the confidence we sometimes need to do things outside our comfort zones. There are moments we play it safe because we are worried about the thoughts of others. Yet, when we think about whose judgment matters, we realize their assessement will be more on the way we behave, not the outcome. Ideally, this helps alleviates any pressure to perform.
We now can comfortably and confidently try things and fail with the understanding that the people whose judgment really matters, only judge those who don’t have the courage to try.
True winners respect the man who has the courage to take the game-winning shot, regardless if it goes in or not. Doing something that doesn’t work is better than doing nothing. The consequences are the same, but the potential upside for one is unlimited.
