People · 1846
I judge people by what they might be,—not are, nor will be.
— Robert Browning · A Soul's Tragedy
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Judgment here favors potential over present or future certainty. Rather than fixating on who someone currently is or predicting who they'll become, the speaker chooses to weigh what a person is capable of. It's a generous standard that values possibility above fixed identity.
Context reviewed