Judging things (including people) is the process by which we determine value. I feel that it is a vital to survival and social functioning. As for it's correlation to the person doing the judging, I bet it depends a great deal on the individual. Using myself as an example, my worst trait is being rude or condescending. I am bothered by that type of behavior. Physically, I am on top of things with the exception of my teeth. They are a rotten mess. I am not disturbed in the slightest by the condition of other people's teeth. I would venture the guess that I care about behavior over physical appearance because I am not a superficial person. Don't misconstrue that statement. I won't hold something against someone if they have no control over it. We don't choose our skin color, for example. However we do choose what we wear, how we carry ourselves, how we speak (vocabulary, not voice), etc... Those are things you can judge someone for. To reiterate, I judge to determine of what worth someone or something is to me. I am not comparing myself to someone. If I find value, I will talk to the person or purchase the object. It doesn't have to be the prettiest object, but rather the most functional. People are far more complicated, than say, a pair of shoes or a refrigerator. You can gather a good deal of information from a first impression, but it is not a substitute for getting to know someone, which is a lengthy process. We don't have time to get to know everyone we meet, hence the importance of making a good first impression.