“I must judge for myself, but how can I judge, how can any man judge, unless his mind has been opened and enlarged by reading.”
Source: Diary and Autobiography of John Adams: Volumes 1-4, Diary (1755-1804) and Autobiography
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
John Adams 202
2nd President of the United States 1735–1826Related quotes

Confirmation Hearing on the Nomination OF Brett M. Kavanaugh to be Ciruit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit https://www.congress.gov/108/chrg/shrg24853/CHRG-108shrg24853.htm (April 27, 2004)

“I don't have to listen to rumors about a man when I can judge him for myself.”
Source: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons

Sādhanā : The Realisation of Life http://www.spiritualbee.com/spiritual-book-by-tagore/ (1916)
Context: We never can have a true view of man unless we have a love for him. Civilisation must be judged and prized, not by the amount of power it has developed, but by how much it has evolved and given expression to, by its laws and institutions, the love of humanity. The first question and the last which it has to answer is, Whether and how far it recognises man more as a spirit than a machine? Whenever some ancient civilisation fell into decay and died, it was owing to causes which produced callousness of heart and led to the cheapening of man's worth; when either the state or some powerful group of men began to look upon the people as a mere instrument of their power; when, by compelling weaker races to slavery and trying to keep them down by every means, man struck at the foundation of his greatness, his own love of freedom and fair-play. Civilisation can never sustain itself upon cannibalism of any form. For that by which alone man is true can only be nourished by love and justice.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
Source: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

““I’ll drive. You navigate.” He grinned. “I judge people by how well they read maps.””
Source: Briar Rose (1992), Chapter 12 (p. 65)

Anti-Slavery Speech (January 1852) http://books.google.com/books?id=SCpVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA22 Published in The Works of Wendell Phillips, Street & Smith (1902), p. 22-23
1850s

“Most men judge your importance in their lives by how much you can hurt them.”
Source: My Story