Helpful.
I know, I know; what about stereotyping? What about prejudice? What about conformity and the death of creativity and individualism? What about people who exclude each other and judge each other based on superficial appearances? -I've- been judged and discriminated and excluded and it feels awful so why is it helpful????
Those are indeed, the bad examples of social judgment. There are no denying it-- there are no arguing against it.
But the thing is; that is just a fragment of social judgment as a whole.
Social judgment is also not following a stranger to a van or a dark secluded place. The word stranger is in itself a social judgment.
Social judgment is also escaping from an abusive relationship.
Social judgment is also recognizing toxic coworkers and friends and families.
Social judgment is also recognizing actions that are kind, sincere, helpful, supportive, wise, courageous, etc.
Because you learn from other people. What happened to them; what they did, what happened to them.
It's a complicated system and as much as the flaws are causing so much unnecessary pain and suffering, the good side are overall much more overwhelming,