---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have long been disposed to judge men by…"
description: "\"I have long been disposed to judge men by their average. If it is reasonably high, I am charitable with faults that look pretty black.\" — E. W. Howe"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png"
---

#  I have long been disposed to judge men by their average…

![“I have long been disposed to judge men by their average. If it is reasonably high, I am charitable with faults that look pretty black.” quote by E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png)

> “I have long been disposed to judge men by their average. If it is reasonably high, I am charitable with faults that look pretty black.”

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Judging people by their average traits can be generous, but it may overlook deeper flaws or virtues.

**In simple terms:** Judge by average, but beware hidden flaws.

Key Takeaway

Balance fairness with deeper insight.

Themes

fairness judgment human nature

Mood

critical analytical

Type

psychological social

When to use this quote

- hiring
- friendship
- leadership

Key Concepts

statistics bias character assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you rely on averages in important decisions?
- How can you see beyond the average?

A Different Perspective

Average judgments can miss extremes that matter.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/) [Average Reasonably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-reasonably-2668250/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Charitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charitable/) [Charitable Faults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charitable-faults-2668249/) [Faults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faults/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Judge me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-me/) [Judge Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-men-862077/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-average-1263666/) [Pretty Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-black-1512901/)

## Related quotes

> [Most people judge men by their success or their good fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/most-people-judge-men-by-their-success-or-their-good-fortune/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [Be successful! I judge men only by the results of their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/be-successful-i-judge-men-only-by-the-results-of-their-actions/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [Court games aren't fair. They don't judge men by their worth, and they aren't about what's just. Guilty men can hold power their whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-abraham/court-games-aren-t-fair-they-don-t-judge-men-by-their-worth-and-they/)

[Daniel Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-abraham/)

> [We do not judge men by what they are in themselves, but by what they are relatively to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-swetchine/we-do-not-judge-men-by-what-they-are-in-themselves-but-by-what-they/)

[Sophie Swetchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-swetchine/)

> [It is the duty of men to judge men only by their actions. Our faculties furnish us with no means of arriving at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-the-duty-of-men-to-judge-men-only-by-their-actions-our/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [I do not judge men by anything they can do. Their greatest deed is the impression they make on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-judge-men-by-anything-they-can-do-their-greatest-deed-is-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [From 1968 on, I was pretty much the black, gay SF writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/from-1968-on-i-was-pretty-much-the-black-gay-sf-writer/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“Great men were always average men, that summoned the courage, honor and will to do extraordinary things that would change the world. A feat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-brown/great-men-were-always-average-men-that-summoned-the-courage-honor-and/)

[Tonny Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonny-brown/)

> [A jury is composed of twelve men of average ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/a-jury-is-composed-of-twelve-men-of-average-ignorance/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [If you look at total numbers in the working and middle class, men still on average make more than women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/if-you-look-at-total-numbers-in-the-working-and-middle-class-men/)

[Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/)

> [What's so wonderful about being 6'3. What is this mythical edge tall men have over average and short men?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regis-philbin/what-s-so-wonderful-about-being-6-3-what-is-this-mythical-edge-tall/)

[Regis Philbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regis-philbin/)

> [“If you must; judge not Men by rumors, but by their repeated actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-ambu/if-you-must-judge-not-men-by-rumors-but-by-their-repeated-actions/)

[Joan Ambu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-ambu/)

> [I've learned to judge of men by their own deeds; I do not make the accident of birth The standard of their merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-josepha-hale/i-ve-learned-to-judge-of-men-by-their-own-deeds-i-do-not-make-the/)

[Sarah Josepha Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-josepha-hale/)

> [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

## More by E. W. Howe

> [There is always a type of man who says he loves his fellow men, and expects to make a living at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/there-is-always-a-type-of-man-who-says-he-loves-his-fellow-men-and/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [I believe in grumbling; it is the politest form of fighting known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-believe-in-grumbling-it-is-the-politest-form-of-fighting-known/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [A theory is no more like a fact than a photograph is like a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/a-theory-is-no-more-like-a-fact-than-a-photograph-is-like-a-person/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [Few men progress, except as they are pushed along by events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/few-men-progress-except-as-they-are-pushed-along-by-events/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [Men are a good deal better collectively than they are individually. Many a man will do that privately which he will denounce in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/men-are-a-good-deal-better-collectively-than-they-are-individually/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [The modest person is usually admired, if people ever hear of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-modest-person-is-usually-admired-if-people-ever-hear-of-them/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [The greatest thing in the world is for a man to be able to do something well, and say nothing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-greatest-thing-in-the-world-is-for-a-man-to-be-able-to-do/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [No man would listen to you talk if he didn't know it was his turn next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/no-man-would-listen-to-you-talk-if-he-didn-t-know-it-was-his-turn-next/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [People never have confidence in a Big Talker. They know his statements must be cut down, but they can never tell how much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/people-never-have-confidence-in-a-big-talker-they-know-his-statements/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [The only gambling tip which amounts to anything is to keep out of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-only-gambling-tip-which-amounts-to-anything-is-to-keep-out-of-the/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [One has fear in front of a goat, in back of a mule, and on every side of a fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/one-has-fear-in-front-of-a-goat-in-back-of-a-mule-and-on-every-side/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [No man's credit is ever as good as his money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/no-man-s-credit-is-ever-as-good-as-his-money/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [Some men storm imaginary Alps all their lives, and die in the foothills cursing difficulties which do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/some-men-storm-imaginary-alps-all-their-lives-and-die-in-the/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [There is something in the red of a raspberry pie that looks as good to a man as the red in a sheep looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/there-is-something-in-the-red-of-a-raspberry-pie-that-looks-as-good/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [Love affairs have always greatly interested me, but I do not greatly care for them in books or moving pictures. In a love affair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/love-affairs-have-always-greatly-interested-me-but-i-do-not-greatly/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

[Explore all 149 E. W. Howe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

## More Average quotes

> [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/)

[Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/)

> [There were times last year when people looked at the scoreboard and thought my batting average was the temperature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-martinez/there-were-times-last-year-when-people-looked-at-the-scoreboard-and/)

[Buck Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-martinez/)

> [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [The average well-being of our societies is not dependent any longer on national income and economic growth. ... But the differences between us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-wilkinson/the-average-well-being-of-our-societies-is-not-dependent-any-longer/)

[Richard G. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-wilkinson/)

> [I really focus more to hit for average, just try to put the ball in play as much as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-soto/i-really-focus-more-to-hit-for-average-just-try-to-put-the-ball-in/)

[Juan Soto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-soto/)

> [You give me enough shots, I'll average 20. You give me a particular system where I stick close to the basket, I'll average 10 rebounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/you-give-me-enough-shots-i-ll-average-20-you-give-me-a-particular/)

[Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/)

> [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/)

[Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/)

> [The average American expends more time becoming informed about choosing a car than choosing a candidate. But, then, the consequences of the former choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-average-american-expends-more-time-becoming-informed-about/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

> [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/)

[Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/)

> [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/)

[Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/)

> [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/)

[Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/)

> [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/)

[Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/)

> [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

[Browse all 2,816 Average quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have long been disposed to judge men by their average. If it is reasonably high, I am charitable with faults that look pretty black.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "E. W. Howe"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-by-their-average-if-it-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Average"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-by-their-average-if-it-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ec/e-w-howe-2815_average_i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-b_2692448.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have long been disposed to judge men by their average. If it is reasonably high, I am charitable with…” — E. W. Howe",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "E. W. Howe",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have long been disposed to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-by-their-average-if-it-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/i-have-long-been-disposed-to-judge-men-by-their-average-if-it-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
