The Outside Edge: How Outsiders Can Succeed in a World Made by Insiders

11Using Judgement

Judgement matters. Listen to the news and accusations of poor judgement are thrown around like punches in a brawl. Business leaders, politicians, celebrities: all are condemned on a daily basis for lacking judgement – a seemingly fatal flaw for those in positions of authority. A fatal flaw, what's more, that could be another defining characteristic of outsiders. Poor judgement hangs like an albatross around our necks – terrorizing our current decision-making while traumatizing our view of the past.

One problem is that outsiders – especially disadvantaged outsiders with poor educational benchmarks or parental mentoring – can feel overly-pressured when making judgements. First, we assume they're all-or-nothing decisions. Make ...