Good judgment redefined

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the supreme importance of judgment as a yardstick. It plays a key role whether it’s used for picking or selecting a partner, a friend, a roommate, an employee, a boss, a politician, a doctor or a religious leader. It’s also use in making career, product or leisure decisions or product choices. 

What precipitated me into that introspection was perhaps the current city council primary elections in Park City. For each candidate I had to vote for, I went through the different traits I had covered in a blog, late last year: positive experience, common sense, logical reasoning. What stopped me thought my fuzzy concept about feelings that I didn’t feel belonged into this yardstick and I decided to substitute it for “Moral Compass”. 

A “moral compass” is this internal guide that helps us distinguish right from wrong and act accordingly. It’s shaped by a blend of personal values, cultural norms, life experiences, and—often—spiritual or philosophical beliefs. Its core elements begin with our conscience, or that inner voice or feeling that nudges us when something feels ethically off. It continues with a generous dose of empathy, or the ability to consider others’ perspectives and feelings before acting. 

Integrity also plays a key role in our moral compass as it enables us to act consistently with our values, even when it’s inconvenient. It ends with accountability or our willingness to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. This means that lying, falsifying, cheating, denigrating or insulting are among a long list of elements that don’t belong in that sphere and should be a red line for everyone to see. 

For example, Trump, Putin or Hitler have absolutely no moral compass! In summary, good judgment is our ability to make wise, fair, and effective decisions by integrating knowledge, experience, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence—even under uncertainty or pressure. 

Again, good judgment is made of positive experience, common sense, logical reasoning and a robust moral compass. It’s not just about being "right," but about balancing logic, ethics, and practicality to achieve the best possible outcome.