Justice and Love: A Balance in Evaluation

When evaluating others, what standards should guide an evaluator’s judgment? Should one simply give members what is due to them? In short, the evaluator must employ justice in decision-making. But is that all there is to it? What if the criteria used are too limited, failing to account for the full complexity of a person’s capabilities and growth potential?

If an evaluator strictly adheres to rigid, predefined standards without seeing beyond them, they are not truly just. A narrow perspective—one that views judgment in black and white—can obscure the bright potential of an individual hidden behind the shadows of expectation. If an evaluator refuses to recognize a member’s ability to grow, improve, or develop, they cease to act with justice and instead become driven by pride and arrogance.

Personally, I dislike evaluators who refuse to step out of their comfort zones—who deny opportunities for growth simply because they won’t adjust their rigid standards. Their decisions lack true justice because they separate justice from love. But is justice merely about giving what is due? Does it always lead to fairness, or could it sometimes stem from envy or personal bias? There is a real need to emphasize the inseparable relationship between justice and love in such matters.

There is an old saying: "We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving." This highlights our human tendency to become self-centered or ego-driven. However, the idea is not absolute—rather, it reveals a truth about the nature of love. Love always gives. We do not give because we are forced to, but because we care. We offer alms to beggars, help strangers, and educate students—not solely because it benefits us, but because of an intrinsic love within us. These acts are not dictated by obligation or fleeting inspiration but by the innate human nature to love and give.

Of course, there are times when we cannot give, despite the desire to. Perhaps we do not hand money to a beggar because we genuinely have none, yet we still feel a longing to help. Maybe we guide a lost stranger, fearing they might be unsafe otherwise, and feel a sense of relief in doing so—even if the danger was only imagined. Teachers may educate students not primarily for financial gain but because their calling is rooted in love and the desire to impart knowledge. Giving, leading, and teaching are all acts of love. And when we cannot do these things, it pains us—because to love is to feel deeply, even when it hurts.

So, where does justice fit into this picture if love drives everything? Justice and love are inseparable. True justice is never devoid of love, and love is the highest form of justice. Justice is the minimum expression of love, while love is justice at its fullest—this is why love surpasses mere fairness.