---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people have ears, but few have…"
description: "\"Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their judgments, such as they are.\" — Lord Chesterf..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg"
---

#  Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those…

![“Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their judgments, such as they are.” quote by Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg)

> “Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their judgments, such as they are.”

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

## About This Quote

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

Listening alone is insufficient; judgment requires critical evaluation and discernment.

**In simple terms:** Ears hear, judgment decides.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate critical thinking before speaking.

Themes

judgment communication critical thinking

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- debates
- leadership meetings
- media consumption
- personal relationships
- education

Key Concepts

philosophy social perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you differentiate hearing from understanding?
- When might silence be wiser than judgment?

A Different Perspective

Judgment can be biased or incomplete.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [The manner of your speaking is full as important as the matter, as more people have ears to be tickled than understandings to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-manner-of-your-speaking-is-full-as-important-as-the-matter-as/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [I've always felt that people's ears are wider than programmers are ever wiling to give them credit for. It's always been very important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-simpson/i-ve-always-felt-that-people-s-ears-are-wider-than-programmers-are/)

[Donnie Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-simpson/)

> [People are always bemoaning the fact that electronic music is finding its way into the mainstream. To me, that's the best possible thing. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tycho/people-are-always-bemoaning-the-fact-that-electronic-music-is-finding/)

[Tycho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tycho/)

> [There's this bubblegum pop thing which is prevalent now that we haven't had before. People's ears are slightly de-tuned; they've been exposed to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/there-s-this-bubblegum-pop-thing-which-is-prevalent-now-that-we-haven/)

[Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/)

> [We're not in people's faces, but I guess we're kind of in people's ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-taylor/we-re-not-in-people-s-faces-but-i-guess-we-re-kind-of-in-people-s-ears/)

[Daniel Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-taylor/)

> [When you come out, and if you're saying something worth taking note of, then people will give you their ears. If you're not, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kano/when-you-come-out-and-if-you-re-saying-something-worth-taking-note-of/)

[Kano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kano/)

> [“The space between our mouth and the people’s ears, or eyes, who receive what we make, that is holy ground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogersogers/the-space-between-our-mouth-and-the-people-s-ears-or-eyes-who-receive/)

Fred Rogersogers

> [For about seven years. I really like it there. There are a lot of great musicians. The scene is very open. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/for-about-seven-years-i-really-like-it-there-there-are-a-lot-of-great/)

[John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/)

> [Worrying too much about other people's ears and not my own, I lost my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/worrying-too-much-about-other-people-s-ears-and-not-my-own-i-lost-my/)

[Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/)

> [God gave people 2 ears and 1 mouth because He wants us to listen twice as much as we talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-harris/god-gave-people-2-ears-and-1-mouth-because-he-wants-us-to-listen/)

[Joshua Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-harris/)

> [I just want to touch people's ears. I want to touch people's lives. I want to give them something they can release to towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-patrick/i-just-want-to-touch-people-s-ears-i-want-to-touch-people-s-lives-i/)

[Richard Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-patrick/)

> [Whenever I go to an opera, I leave my sense and reason at the door with my half-guinea, and deliver myself up to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/whenever-i-go-to-an-opera-i-leave-my-sense-and-reason-at-the-door/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. A plot is more antic, more performative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/story-is-about-pulling-the-reader-in-and-a-plot-is-a-more/)

[Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/)

> [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

## More by Lord Chesterfield

> [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [No woman ever yet either reasoned or acted long together consequentially; but some little thing, some love, some resentment, somepresent momentary interest, some supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/no-woman-ever-yet-either-reasoned-or-acted-long-together/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [I am in the pitiable situation of feeling all the force of temptation without having the strength to succumb to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/i-am-in-the-pitiable-situation-of-feeling-all-the-force-of-temptation/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Mankind is made up of inconsistencies, and no man acts invariably up to his predominant character. The wisest man sometimes acts weakly, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/mankind-is-made-up-of-inconsistencies-and-no-man-acts-invariably-up/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Compliments of congratulation are always kindly taken, and cost nothing but pen, ink and paper. I consider them as draughts upon good breeding, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/compliments-of-congratulation-are-always-kindly-taken-and-cost/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/the-insolent-civility-of-a-proud-man-is-if-possible-more-shocking/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [“Secret thoughts and an open countenance will take you safely the world over”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/secret-thoughts-and-an-open-countenance-will-take-you-safely-the/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic value: but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their luster:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/virtue-and-learning-like-gold-have-their-intrinsic-value-but-if-they/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it while young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/knowledge-is-a-comfortable-and-necessary-retreat-and-shelter-for-us/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Promptness is the soul of business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/promptness-is-the-soul-of-business/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Style is the dress of thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/style-is-the-dress-of-thoughts/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [It is commonly said that ridicule is the best test of truth; for that it will not stick where it is not just. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-commonly-said-that-ridicule-is-the-best-test-of-truth-for-that/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [There is hardly any place or any company where you may not gain knowledge, if you please; almost everybody knows some one thing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/there-is-hardly-any-place-or-any-company-where-you-may-not-gain/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Assurance and intrepidity, under the white banner of seeming modesty, clear the way for merit, that would otherwise be discouraged by difficulties...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/assurance-and-intrepidity-under-the-white-banner-of-seeming-modesty/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [“Many a man would rather you heard his story than grant his request.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/many-a-man-would-rather-you-heard-his-story-than-grant-his-request/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

[Explore all 378 Lord Chesterfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

## More Ears quotes

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. A plot is more antic, more performative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-enright/story-is-about-pulling-the-reader-in-and-a-plot-is-a-more/)

[Anne Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-enright/)

> [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/)

[Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/)

> [Somehow the river is louder when you cover your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-williams/somehow-the-river-is-louder-when-you-cover-your-ears/)

[Niall Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-williams/)

> [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/)

[Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/)

> [Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-was-like-how-she-is-now-when/)

[Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/)

> [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/)

[Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/)

> [I had never done anything with blue screen before, or prosthetics, or anything like that. Lord of the Rings was like stepping into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-had-never-done-anything-with-blue-screen-before-or-prosthetics-or/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [The more that you act on your intuition fearlessly, the more your intuition will serve you. Intuition is the ear of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/the-more-that-you-act-on-your-intuition-fearlessly-the-more-your/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [it'll be this kind of deep blue”she said. “The kind of color that somehow sucks your eyes and your ears and all your words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/it-ll-be-this-kind-of-deep-blue-she-said-the-kind-of-color-that/)

[Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/)

> [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

Browse all 2,987 Ears quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their judgments, such as they are.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lord Chesterfield"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgment-tickle-those-ears-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ears"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgment-tickle-those-ears-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc5/lord-chesterfield-757_ears_most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgm_1338998.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their…” — Lord Chesterfield",
                "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": "Lord Chesterfield",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Most people have ears, but few...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgment-tickle-those-ears-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/most-people-have-ears-but-few-have-judgment-tickle-those-ears-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
