Letter no 55 - Good judgement

Published by Aditya Jhunjhunwala,

How do you decide when the boiling potato is cooked?

The peel slides off easily.
You poke it with a fork and see how easily the fork slides in.

There is some technique and some judgement involved in the act. Unless you have done it a few times, and unless you have actually ended up with uncooked or over cooked boiled potato a few times, your judgement won’t be perfect.

Judgement is acquired after several rounds trial and error, along with active efforts to understand and improve.

This was just boiled potato, but judgment is a valuable asset.

You don’t just get paid for your hard work. In fact, the higher you rise in your career, you get paid for your judgement. Others do the hard work.



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A doctor’s good judgement can save the patient.

A counsellor’s good judgement can prevent the couple from a bitter battle.

A teachers god judgement can help the child find what they love.

A scientist’s god judgement can create a miracle of technology.

A parent’s good judgement can be difference between confidence and self doubt.

A businesspersons good judgement can keep the team empowered and the company profitable.

A friend’s good judgement can help one get out of a messy place in one’s life.

Good Judgment is valuable.


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Judgement is not the same as "judging".

Judgement is a combination of experience + ability + clarity.

It is acquired slowly and painstakingly. It is intuition + sense.

Judgement is why you can’t learn something’s only by watching videos or reading books. You need a teacher’s judgement.

Judgement is why you cannot navigate life and relationships only by reading self help books. You need a loved ones touch to help you make sense.

Judgement is what stops a doctor from go ahead with a particular treatment, or a musician from adding that one extra layer of beats.

Judgement is what tells a parent to leave the kid, although every of their being wants to probe further.

Judgment is valuable.


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Develop a your good judgement in things that are important to you in life.

Here are a few suggestions how:

  1. Spend time serving and being with people who you believe have good judgement.
  2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (ones that Won’t kill to).
  3. Take time to reflect on what you learnt.
  4. Discuss your experiences with others who have good judgement.
  5. Look for a variety of perspectives on matters that are important.
  6. Be clear about what is important to you and nA what your values Are.
  7. Take time to understand the why behind this that you are doing.
  8. Make annn nA effort to understand how things work.
  9. Be willing to be proven wrong.
  10. Don’t be defensive about your ideas. Be assertive, but not defensive. Find a better way to communicate them.



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Great chefs are not fearful to give it their recipes. They know that the recipes are not enough. You need good judgment to really create those dishes!

What aspects of life do you think you want to develop good judgement in?

With gratitude and in friendship,

adi