You`re welcome, and although I understand that the dictionary is
considered the definitive source of meaning, it`s unfortunately not
true. Nowadays, the dictionary, like so many other previously honorable
references, has been affected by political correctness, "sensitivity,"
politics in general, and consensus agreement.
For example, the correct spelling of nuclear is just that...nuclear.
Because so many English-speaking people incorrectly pronounce it
"nuk-yoo-lar," the dictionary now proposes (who are these people?) a
so-called second and optional spelling, nucular.
From Merriam-Webster:
usage Though disapproved of
by many, pronunciations ending in -ky?-l?r have been found in
widespread use among educated speakers including scientists, lawyers,
professors, congressmen, United States cabinet members, and at least
two United States presidents and one vice president. While most common
in the United States, these pronunciations have also been heard from
British and Canadian speakers.
"Judgemental," derives from the verb, "to judge:"
1 : of, relating to, or involving judgment
2 : characterized by a tendency to judge harshly <judgmental prigs>
You`ll note that the characterization is the second, not the primary
meaning of the word. Although it`s true in the dictionary that some
judgemental people have this tendency towards another characterization
of "harsh," that`s a subjective editorialization by the editors of the
so-called dictionary.
The fact remains that judgement is fundamental to all action. Without
judgement, people are both fools and apathetic. I have a highly
judgemental (in its second usage) attitude toward modern dictionaries
for exactly this reason. They`re part of the problem, not part of or
the entire solution.
Your article is essentially a characterization, which is fine in and of
itself. The issue I have with it is when you pass it off as an
objective analysis of business process or social interaction. It isn`t
objective---it`s a commentary of your own observations. That too is
okay, given that you`re writing a blog not a reference manual.
You`ll also find that another, more apt synonym for judgement is "discernment," which isn`t at all the same as "pejorative."
Too many people in today`s world have sloughed off semantics, implying
that playing with words and their meanings is a useless activity. The
result is a population of people who can barely speak or write the
language. But the far more dangerous result is that political
correctness, and the fascism of modern times:
1. often capitalized : a political
philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts
nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a
centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader,
severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of
opposition
Thank you for accepting a disagreement with your posting, and not going
off on a rant. I understand that you`ve examined the authorities, but
those authorities are no longer reliable.
WordNet:
# S: (adj) judgmental (depending on judgment) "a judgmental error"; "I think that she is too judgmental to be a good therapist"
Judgement:
Noun
# S: (n) judgment, judgement, mind (an opinion formed by judging
something) "he was reluctant to make his judgment known"; "she changed
her mind"
# S: (n) judgment, judgement, assessment (the act of judging or
assessing a person or situation or event) "they criticized my judgment
of the contestants"
# S: (n) judgment, judgement, judicial decision ((law) the
determination by a court of competent jurisdiction on matters submitted
to it)
# S: (n) judgment, judgement, judging (the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions)
# S: (n) opinion, legal opinion, judgment, judgement (the legal
document stating the reasons for a judicial decision) "opinions are
usually written by a single judge"
# S: (n) judgment, judgement, sound judgment, sound judgement,
perspicacity (the capacity to assess situations or circumstances
shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions)
# S: (n) sagacity, sagaciousness, judgment, judgement, discernment (the
mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations)
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