--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good judgment comes from experience, and…" description: "\"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul.\" — Ralph Wald..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_active_good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and_2914492.png" --- # Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that… ![“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_active_good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and_2914492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_active_good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and_2914492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_active_good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and_2914492.png) > “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experience, especially bad, builds judgment; the active soul is valuable. **In simple terms:** Bad experiences sharpen judgment; an active soul matters. Key Takeaway Seek growth through challenges. Themes experience judgment spirit Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal loss - learning new skills Key Concepts Self‑development philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What makes a bad judgment valuable? - How can we nurture the active soul? A Different Perspective Not all bad experiences lead to wisdom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Active](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/active/) [Bad Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-judgment-345115/) [Good judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-judgment/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-comes-421363/) [Judgment Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-thing-269013/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of it comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-merrow/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-a-lot-of-it-comes-from-bad/) [James Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-merrow/) > [Good judgment comes from experience; and experience, …well, that comes from bad judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-experience-well-that-comes-2/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-often-experience-comes-from/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“Grandpa Garnier: Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-novak/grandpa-garnier-good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-a-lot-of-that/) [Brenda Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-novak/) > [Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-a-lot-of-that-comes-from-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good judgment comes from bad experience. Unfortunately, most of that comes from bad judgment. - Tara Daniels -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/good-judgment-comes-from-bad-experience-unfortunately-most-of-that/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [“Good judgment comes by way of experience, which comes of bad judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolf-pascoe/good-judgment-comes-by-way-of-experience-which-comes-of-bad-judgment/) [Wolf Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolf-pascoe/) > [“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevaeh-lee/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-a-lotta-that-comes-from-bad/) [Nevaeh Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nevaeh-lee/) > [Bad Judgment comes; when we make a decision when we are angry !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/bad-judgment-comes-when-we-make-a-decision-when-we-are-angry/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Good judgment comes from experience. And where does experience come from? Experience comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-where-does-experience-come/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Judgment comes from experience - and experience comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wriston/judgment-comes-from-experience-and-experience-comes-from-bad-judgment/) [Walter Wriston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wriston/) > [“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience - well, that comes from poor judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne-4/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-experience-well-that-comes/) [A.A.Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne-4/) > [“Good judgment comes from experience, but experience is often earned through bad judgments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-but-experience-is-often-earned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One learns good judgment through experience; one gains experience through bad judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-phennah/one-learns-good-judgment-through-experience-one-gains-experience/) [Sharon Phennah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-phennah/) ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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