Here Comes the Judge!

Are you a good judge of character?

“Order in the court! Order in the court!”

“Guacamole with chips!” [Rimshot]

So either I need some more caffeine, or I’ve already had enough, because my mind began to free associate on the word “judge,” with memories flashing by as in a flip book.

But I do think I’m a good judge of character, overall. 31 years of teaching helped hone my ability to read people and evaluate them—especially when they helped me out with excuses, late assignments, and the like—but also with dedication, timeliness, and persistence. I’m thinking that judging character is often a two-way street, and is assisted by behavioral and forensic evidence.

Although, recently, I had very little to go on. Someone I know told me he had an online interest, maybe friend, maybe more. But when I saw the Facebook photo, alarms went off. With very little to go on (one photo, some sketchy friends, and no posts in the just-over-4-month-old profile), I gaveled: “Scammer!” Subsequent events (him challenging her and her not responding) seem to have proven me correct.

My powers of evaluation have occasionally failed me, however. Years ago, a young woman told me that she loved me. And I believed her, hook, line, and sinker, as they say. We’ve kept in touch over the years, with occasionally lapses in contact and then reconnection. I have my doubts about that declaration of love these many years later, yet part of me is still uncertain. Likely, I’ll never know for sure.

I need a judge.