Value Judgements: Understanding Worth and Value

This person is worth a million bucks; but that person over there is only worth one thousand. Placing a monetary value on human life sounds ludicrous. But value is given to both; just exchanged on different markets. We evaluate worth using comparative judgments. “This is good because it is better than that.” When we assign value, we are making a value judgement. Determining value for a bushel of corn or an hour of skilled labor may be effective; but comparisons fail when measuring personal-worth. People possess too many variables, valuation changes with the ever-changing complexity of criteria. But many remain perfectly comfortable saying, “He’s good; and she’s bad.”

This notion of “worth” permeates our thinking, extending far beyond mere dollars and cents. We constantly engage in acts of valuation, ranking experiences, ideas, and yes, even people, along scales of desirability and importance. We declare a movie “brilliant,” a solution “elegant,” or a friend “invaluable,” each pronouncement a value judgment cloaked in different language but stemming from the same fundamental process of assessment. It’s a cognitive reflex, this drive to categorize and rank, to determine “better than” and “less than.” While this comparative lens can be incredibly useful for navigating the practicalities of the world, from choosing the ripest fruit to selecting the best tool for the job, it falters dramatically when we turn it inward, onto ourselves and each other.

The human experience, with its messy, beautiful, contradictory nature, simply refuses to be neatly quantified and slotted into a simple hierarchy of “good” and “bad.” Yet, despite this inherent inadequacy, the urge to judge, to evaluate worth, persists, coloring our perceptions and shaping our interactions in profound ways.

The Practice of Making Value Judgments of Others

Value judgments are an inherent part of human cognition and social interaction. In psychology, the practice of making value judgments of others plays a significant role in understanding individual behavior and interpersonal dynamics. However, this practice slips into a dangerous practice when left unchecked and unmediated.

No one is more valuable than anyone else. We live, breathe, feel pain, and joy. Essentially, we all just exist. Is my joy more important than someone else’s joy? Does my pain hurt more than their pain? Naturally, I feel my own pain and joy more intensely than I feel the pain and joy of others. However, they also feel their experiences more strongly than they could ever feel my experience. The experience, whether it’s mine or yours, doesn’t make it any less important. How do we make a representative values judgement on something we are ill informed to make?

David Hume wrote:

“Truth is disputable; not taste: what exists in the nature of things is the standard of our judgement; what each man feels within himself is the standard of sentiment” (Hume, 1751).

Value judgments are not mathematical propositions that we can prove. They are sentiments that we feel.

Understanding Value Judgments

Value judgments refer to the subjective assessments or evaluations that people make about themselves, others, and various situations based on their personal beliefs, cultural influences, and experiences. These judgments often involve assigning positive or negative attributes to people or their actions, influencing perceptions and decision-making processes.

Value Judgments of Personal Behavior

Value judgments are not wrong. We need to make decisions based on values.

Nathaniel Branden explains:

“It is impossible to escape the realm of values and value-judgments because they are demanded by the very nature of life. ‘Good for me’ or ‘bad for me’ ultimately translates to ‘for my life and well-being’ or ‘against them.’ Further, and essential to an understanding of self- esteem, we cannot exempt ourselves from the realm of values and value judgments. We cannot be indifferent to the moral meaning of our actions, although we may try to be or pretend to be. At some level, their value significance irresistibly registers in, the psyche, leaving positive feelings about the self in their wake or negative ones” (Branden, 1995).

Basically, value judgments is understanding what we hold as valuable, and making judgments that honor those values. Often we make irrational choices that conflict with the very things in life we propose to cherish.

See Human Irrationality for more on this topic

Moralistic Judgments

Some writers make a distinction between value judgments and moralistic judgments. Value judgments are seen as judgments of personal value. And moral judgments as the practice of judging the character of others.

Marshall B. Rosenberg explains:

“It is important here not to confuse value judgments and moralistic judgments. All of us make value judgments as to the qualities we value in life; for example, we might value honesty, freedom, or peace. Value judgments reflect our beliefs of how life can best be served. We make moralistic judgments of people and behaviors that fail to support our value judgments (Rosenberg, 2015).

Basically, I make a judgment that going to church every week is good. This is a value judgement. Something I find of value. I then project this value on others. John is bad because he doesn’t go to church. This is a moral judgment of John’s character based on my values.

See Self-Righteousness for more information on this topic

Psychological Mechanisms

The process of making value judgments is influenced by various psychological mechanisms, including cognitive biases, social conditioning, and emotional responses. Cognitive biases such as the halo effect, fundamental attribution error, and negativity bias can significantly impact how individuals perceive and judge others.

The psychological mechanisms behind value judgments involve a complex interplay of cognitive and emotional processes. Here are some key factors:

• Valence from Need Satisfaction: Judgments are influenced by how well something satisfies our needs or goals.
• Shared Beliefs: Our values are shaped by societal norms and shared beliefs about what is desirable.
• Personal Standards: We compare our current selves to our personal standards and ideals.
• Evaluative Inferences: We make value judgments based on inferences from our experiences and knowledge.
• Hedonic Experience: The pleasure or discomfort associated with an experience can affect our value judgments (Higgins, 2015).

Neuroscientific research also shows that areas like the amygdala, insula, striatum, and prefrontal cortex play roles in integrating affect with decision-making, suggesting that emotion and value are fundamentally intertwined (Sokol-Hessner & Phelps, 2015). Understanding these mechanisms can help us appreciate the subjective nature of value and the reasons behind individual differences in value judgments.

Impact on Relationships

The practice of making value judgments can have profound effects on interpersonal relationships. When individuals consistently make negative value judgments about others, it can lead to prejudices, stereotyping, and conflict within social groups. Conversely, positive value judgments can foster empathy, trust, and cooperation.

Making value judgments about people can impact interpersonal relationships, social interactions, and decision-making processes, and may contribute to prejudice and discrimination. It is important to recognize the influence of value judgments and strive to approach individuals with empathy, open-mindedness, and a willingness to understand their unique experiences and perspectives.

Alfred Adler warns:

“Insufficient contact with our fellow human beings estranges us from them. Our behaviour towards them is often misguided, and our judgements of them frequently incorrect. Our social relationships would then improve, for we all know that most difficulties and disagreements stem from a lack of understanding, and this failure to understand each other properly can lead us to misinterpret or be misled by the façades that other people present” (Adler, 1927).

Excusing Lack of Empathy

Many value judgments are expressions that show a lack of empathy. We don’t want to share the pain of others so we excuse their suffering, blaming their behavior or character for their circumstances. We have a propensity to excuse our lack of empathy. They did ‘bad’ because they are ‘bad’. This cognitive practice creates separation, distancing ourselves from their suffering. The wealthy disregard the struggles of the low income by citing they are lazy; the middle class disregards the destitute because they use drugs. The religious dismiss the non religious because they are sinners , and the non religious dismiss the church goers because they are self-righteous.

Round and round we go pointing fingers, blaming, and judging.

Hans Selye wrote:

“People are very different, and no one formula could be equally appropriate for everybody. Let me also emphasize that I place no value judgment on particular life styles as long as man’s pattern of behavior does not hurt others, he should live the life that is most natural to him” (Selye, 1975. p. 5)

See Blame: A Defense Mechanism for more on this topic

Pain is Pain

It’s a deeply human instinct to seek understanding, to trace experiences back to their origins, to ask “why?” when confronted with suffering. We often look for causes, for reasons behind pain, whether it’s physical, emotional, or existential. This quest for causality is valuable; it can guide solutions, inform prevention, and offer a sense of control in a chaotic world. However, in our search for explanations, we must be careful not to inadvertently diminish the reality of the suffering itself. Just because we can pinpoint a cause, whether it be a biological condition, a series of life choices, or systemic injustice, the pain experienced remains undeniably real and poignantly felt by the individual living through it. Understanding the ‘why’ doesn’t magically erase the ‘what’ of their experience.

The truth is, pain in its myriad forms is a universal human experience, one that transcends societal constructs like race or economic standing, and even surpasses judgments about the “effectiveness” or “wisdom” of past choices. Pain is not a meritocracy; it doesn’t discriminate based on demographics or philosophical assessments of deservingness. Whether the source of suffering is perceived as self-inflicted, externally imposed, or simply a consequence of existence, the raw, visceral experience of pain remains. To devalue suffering because we understand its roots, or because we might judge the contributing factors, is to disregard the fundamental reality of another person’s lived experience. It’s to forget that at its core, stripped bare of all analysis and justification, pain is simply, and profoundly, pain.

See Emotional Pain for more on this topic

Empathy for the Pain of Others

Ultimately, acknowledging the cause of suffering shouldn’t lead to a devaluation of the suffering itself. Empathy demands that we recognize the inherent validity of another’s pain, irrespective of our understanding of its origins (Murphy, 2024). Understanding causality can be intellectually useful and practically informative, but it must never overshadow the fundamental truth that pain, in all its forms, is a real and impactful experience.

Empathy is not an automatic reaction. Often, the experience of empathy is painful as we experience a fraction of someone else’s pain. It is common to dismiss their pain through value judgements, pointing to the causes and suggesting they are responsible.

Paul Greenhalgh wrote:

“To relate empathically to other people usually involves a certain effort, as empathy is an attitude that requires one to set aside one’s own feelings and needs and to step partially outside oneself” (Greenhalgh, 1994).

Compassion calls us to recognize the poignant reality of suffering, to meet it with empathy and validation, understanding that regardless of the intricate web of causes, pain is, and always will be, unequivocally pain.

Self-Reflection and Awareness

How do we determine a person’s worth? And who is capable of making these narrow minded value judgments? We must intercept the ill-informed judgments while they are still in our thoughts before they escape our mouths, revealing our toxic biased thinking and harming others.

Value judgements are habits of thought; but injected with mindfulness, we can catch and modify, expanding compassion towards humanity instead of only doling it out to a select few within our own limiting groups. By not justifying our devaluations of worth, we become connected—not divided. Something we desperately need in this world. We become part of the universe together.

Research findings encourage self-reflection as a practice to expose our own value judgments and biases. Developing this awareness can lead to more empathetic and open-minded interactions, reducing the impact of implicit biases and promoting a more inclusive social environment.

Associated Concepts

• Deservingness Heuristic: This heuristic is about how we make judgments on who deserves what. Basically, we tend to think that people get what they deserve based on their actions. If someone works hard, we think they deserve success; if someone makes poor choices, we think they deserve negative outcomes.
• Social Categorization: This refers to the process through which individuals classify others into social groups based on common characteristics such as race, gender, age, or nationality. This cognitive process allows people to simplify their social environment, make sense of the world around them, and form expectations about others.
• Mean People: This refers to people who exhibit traits such as rudeness, insensitivity, a lack of empathy, and a tendency to belittle or criticize others. They may also display a lack of remorse for their actions, enjoy causing others distress, and have difficulty in celebrating the successes of others.
• Implicit Bias: This bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases are typically ingrained through societal and cultural influences, and can impact how we perceive and interact with others.
• Causes of Human Behavior: Behind human behaviors is an almost infinite complexity of motivations, far beyond our human ability to comprehend.
• Discernment: This concept refers to the ability to accurately perceive and comprehend information, situations, or people, often by using good judgment and insight. It involves the capacity to make insightful and well-informed decisions based on careful evaluation and understanding of various factors.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

​By freeing ourselves from determining human value through ignorant values judgements, we clean the lens, opening up for a more diverse experience. Our defenses fade. With clearer vision, we are more likely to catch ourselves before dismissing the importance of another person’s suffering.

Relationships, politics, and societies expand with a more inclusive purpose. I fear we are moving in the wrong direction, more divisive, more unaccepting, and more punitive. The foundation of compassion and empathy emerges from inclusion. We are connected. If the world is to change, we must cheer for others in their successes and embrace them in their failures. We are all priceless, of ​great value.

In conclusion, the practice of making value judgments of others is a complex psychological phenomenon with significant implications for individual well-being and social dynamics. By understanding the underlying mechanisms and effects of value judgments, individuals can strive for more empathetic and unbiased interactions, ultimately contributing to healthier and more inclusive communities.