Don't judge me!

Question

Hi,Could 'Don't judge me!' mean 'Don't criticize me!'Thanks!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Yes.
Clive

Avangi · Answer

Anonymous Could 'Don't judge me!' mean 'Don't criticize me!'

I would say, No. People may often use them interchangeably, but in my mind that would be incorrect.

I believe "criticize me" refers to my actions (what I've done) while "judge me" refers to my being - what I am

- A.

Edit. Obviously, you may judge my actions, but I've always had the sense that "judge" cuts deeper than "criticize." You criticize my driving. I didn't come to a complete stop at the stop sign. You judge me as having a bad attitude toward the law. I am a scofflaw.

I guess one could be used to mean the other but I think it should not.

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi"judge" cuts deeper than "criticize."

Hi Clive and Avangi,
Thank you both very much for your answers.
What does 'cuts deeper' mean?

Does 'judge' mean 'point out the faults of' or mean 'give an opinion about someone's good and bad qualities after thinking carefully about all the information you know about them in 'don't judge me' here?

Thank you very much.

Avangi · Answer

Anonymous
Avangi"judge" cuts deeper than "criticize."
What does 'cuts deeper' mean?

Does 'judge' mean 'point out the faults of' or mean 'give an opinion about someone's good and bad qualities after thinking carefully about all the information you know about them in 'don't judge me' here?

Of course there's some overlapping, and person A may have something different in mind than does person B when using the same expression.

I may angrily say, "Don't correct me!", implying that to correct me is to judge me, and that I don't recognize your authority to do so, or don't wish for our relationship to take on that aspect. Someone else may view "correct me" in a completely non-authoritarian way. I mention "correct me" because, like "judge" and "criticize," it's fraught with inescapable connotative meaning. Some would say, "Only *** may judge him!"

I think your expression "point out the faults of" applies best to "criticize." Whether these "faults" are matters of fact or matters of opinion is open to discussion. The cast, producers, director, author, etc. of a new play which has just opened on Broadway are desperate to read what the "critics" have to say in the morning papers. This is their bread and butter. They may totally disagree with the critics, and the critics may totally disagree with each other about the so-called "faults," and the strong points.

In judging the talents of an author, a critic may point to certain "faults" as being evidence of some fundamental artistic flaw, but his argument would not consist solely in a collection of faults. On the other hand, a criticism well could.

I think in general, by comparison, criticism is superficial while judgement is more fundamental. That's what I meant by "cuts deeper." (takes a deeper look at the person.)

What a judge does in a US courtroom is a different matter. He essentially rules on how existing law applies to specific issues in the present case.

I read many years ago that trials in the USSR were quite different, in that the judge had wide discretion in taking the character of the accused into account - his overall history, contributions to the state, etc. This would be more like my understanding of "to judge." Like ***.

- A.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Avangi,

Many thanks for your very clear explanation.
Could 'criticize' and 'judge' mean both 'point out the faults of' and 'give an opinion about someone's good and bad qualities after thinking carefully about all the information you know about them' and
their difference is, like you said,
'judge' cuts deeper than 'criticeze', right?

Thanks a lot.

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousCould 'criticize' and 'judge' mean both 'point out the faults of' and '~~give~~ form an opinion about someone's good and bad qualities after thinking carefully about all the information you know about them', and their difference is, like you said, 'judge' cuts deeper than 'criticeze', right?

Yes, this could work.

As I think you know, I associate the pink part with "criticize" and the blue part with "judge," but you have to expect people to mingle the terms.

An important difference is that "point out" is absolutely necessary in "criticism." But when you judge someone, it's possible to "form" an opinion in your own mind and never say a word about it to the person or to anyone else.

Also, don't forget that criticism and judgement don't have to be negative. That is, we can point out good things as well as faults.

Huevos · Answer

"To judge" means to form an opinion; "to criticize"means to find fault (often where there is none) and make it known.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Avangi,

Many thanks for your further explanation.
Do you mean 'form an opinion' and 'give an opinion are different? Does 'give an opinion' mean to express or say something to someone else about your opinion?

'Judge' can mean form or give an opinion, right?

Thank you very much.

Avangi · Answer

Anonymous Do you mean 'form an opinion' and 'give an opinion are different? Yes.

Does 'give an opinion' mean to express or say something to someone else about your opinion? Yes.

'Judge' can mean form or give an opinion, right?Yes.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Avangi, thank you very much and I appreciate your great help.

Don't judge me!

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