This was a good reminder to examine why we are criticizing someone. The criticism in question may not be helpful. Examining the "why" is, I believe, just as important to maintain social ties as it is to protect ourselves and our various communities (family, support network, social network, religious community, etc.).

For me, I have been quite frustrated with people I know being out and about without masks, and basically ignoring all of the hygiene and social distancing recommendations. It's as if it's too much of a damper on their social life, or too much of a hassle, so they are just ignoring everything. One person said it's not "real" to her because she doesn't know anyone who has died from COVID-19. I do not openly criticize them and I politely decline their social invitations. But believe me, I am critical of their actions.

If I review your post, I can agree that my criticism of these people probably falls into the category of fearing they might inflict damage to me, namely, infect me or someone else I know, with the virus. It would be extremely frustrating to learn it happened because of their irresponsibility.

That being said, in this example there is also a component of me thinking I am acting more morally, superior in character to them, that they are not doing "the right thing". This may be vanity.

I have a friend who thinks she knows best, who is a very black and white thinker, and she believes her way is the only right way to do things. She is constantly judging everyone against her own ideas, and you can feel it. She does not hide her opinion. I see her alienating people over and over again. Her social circle is constantly changing. As social beings, isn't this doing her more harm than good?

Her reasons may be one or many of the ones you've cited, but I feel there can simply be the attitude of superiority, and it does not need to go beyond that. A vanity, or close-mindedness.

We are constantly comparing ourselves to others in order to judge what our place in the social hierarchy is. It is an instict that has been around since humans have been a thing, and you can imagine how important it used to be. We judge so we can know who do we associate with and so on.
This instict is not so celebrated anymore because of the connotation that the word judgement has: it is almost always negative. In a society in which diversity and emphaty are key, one should not judge others, or at least, not make one´s judgements public. We know, however, that that is not possible.
I support the idea of judgement, of categorizing individuals, but keeping them to myself. I use stereotypes to navigate social situations, such as talking about soccer when there is a group of male young adults on the basis that the majority enjoys talking about sports.
Instead of keeping your gaze fixed at the negative aspects of judgement, I recommend that you take in the whole picture. I cannot walk in nobody´s shoes, but I can still judge their decisions and decide that I do want or do not want such an outcome

I approach the whole problem of judgement of others based on the psychoanalytic idea of projection, based on the ideas of Melanie Klein.We see faults in others and focus on theirs rather than acknowledging our own inadequacies.

There is also a passage in the Bible a long that line, but I haven't read the Bible in years so I would not be able to quote it. However, religious believers can be the most judgemental when they judge others according to a set of rules, although Jesus criticised the Pharisees for doing that. So, hopefully not all religious believers are completely judgemental.

But for all people it is hard to avoid all judgemental views, such as those against rapists and murderers. I have worked in forensic psychiatry and actually I did not have problems working with such people, but some colleagues found it hard not to be judgemental. Some also admitted being judgemental of people with drug and alcohol problems, but of course admitting judgemental beliefs is the starting point for confronting the attitude.

I think being in touch with the shadow, as Jung describes it, is central. I struggled with guilt associated with the Catholic ideas I was brought up with and this led me to work with my own shadow. But acknowledging the dark side in oneself is a difficult process. But the more aware we are of our darkest motives the more compassionate we can become.

[reply="philosophience wordpress com;d9368"
I just thought that I would add that I do think people are becoming morally superior in this time of Covid_19 and it is bringing out the worst prejudices against certain Chinese and Asians.

It can be hard if people don't follow the guidelines but I wonder whether some of the guidelines are even correct. Some of the people who say they don't care may just be overwhelmed because we are not used to this whole problem.

It is also hard to get the right balance, because otherwise we may all get obsessive compulsive disorder. It is also possible that susceptibility to Covid_19 may also be related to one's current immune system, so it is all complicated.

Why are we so inclined to frequently judge and criticize others, especially those in our vicinity? — philosophience wordpress com

We judge everything, from the clouds to decide if we think it might rain to the bridge to see if might collapse, so why not judge people as well in order to predict and possibly control future actions? And why do you judge judgment of people as bad, as if that's assumed. In what way would a world without judgment be preferable?

Turning to the other, looking with charity, serving others and working hard are things that we demand of others, but that we ourselves do not do.

Nothing like the great fiction literature to develop in the reader the capacity for moral judgment. There we see many dramatic, tragic, comic or paradoxical situations that we will never encounter in our personal life, that transcend our current horizon of consciousness, but that we must know because they are part of human life and because nothing prevents them from appearing before us tomorrow or later. Imaginary experience broadens our moral understanding and prepares us to judge things wisely and fairly. Most of the wrong moral judgments come from narrow imagination.

Also, an infallible formula: before judging anyone, especially negatively, make sure that you have already become, more or less in a stable and general way, someone kind, brave, humble and capable. Demand these basic qualities from yourself, and when you attain them - because no one has the four at birth - your judgments about other human beings will be reasonably fair, as far as possible. Until you get there, restrain your impulse to judge. Virtually all the ills in the world come from people demanding more from others than from themselves.

@Jack Cummins @Sherry @Alejandro @Hanover Fantastic comments from all of you! I am sooo impressed!
Of course there is no human society and no progress without judjement. It is something indispensable. It is real that in this post I gave mainly emphasis to the negative aspects of it. Many people judge a bit too much and too often. Subconsious, "evolutionary" mechanisms can be in work here. I always try to understand why some behaviours persist for centuries or millenia despite thee fact that societies and morals change.

Jack , by and lagre, I agree with you about conspiracy theories. I have often though about this ,also persisting, phenomenon and i wrote down some thought in my blog if you wish to read https://philosophience.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/thoughts-on-the-conspiracy-theories-problem/

Why are we so inclined to frequently judge and criticize others, especially those in our vicinity? — philosophience wordpress com

So many of the people around me make decisions upon bases that presume a lot of things that are either wildly incorrect or is just annoyingly imprecise.
Regardless of how well I may be or not be at judging matters, my presence as one who judges is equally objectionable.