Meaning & Analysis
Before making a judgment on any matter, a person is obligated to listen to all sides of the issue and consider every piece of evidence available.
Insights
Intellectual Humility
The proverb is a maxim for intellectual honesty, warning against the dangers of forming opinions based on incomplete data or a single perspective. It champions a methodical and comprehensive approach to understanding any complex issue.
Interpersonal Wisdom
It serves as a guide for interpersonal relationships, advocating for empathy and fairness. The proverb advises against rushing to conclusions about others' motives or actions without first seeking to understand their point of view.
Prudence in Action
As a principle of effective decision-making, it highlights the importance of due diligence. 'Hearing all parts' is analogous to gathering all relevant information and weighing all possible outcomes before committing to a course of action.
Principle of Justice
This proverb directly reflects the foundational legal principle of 'Audi alteram partem' ('listen to the other side'), a cornerstone of Roman law and modern jurisprudence, emphasizing that justice cannot be served without hearing from all involved parties.
Cognitive Discipline
Psychologically, the proverb serves as a powerful antidote to confirmation bias—the tendency to seek and interpret information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs. It mandates a deliberate effort to engage with opposing viewpoints before forming a conclusion.
Literary Resonance
In 'Hamlet', Shakespeare echoes this sentiment through Polonius's advice to Laertes: 'Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.' This literary parallel underscores the Renaissance-era value placed on cautious listening as a key to social navigation and personal integrity.
Rhetorical Devices
Imperative Mood
The proverb is structured as a moral directive or command, using 'should' to create a strong sense of obligation and ethical weight.
Archaic Diction
The use of the archaic word 'ere' (before) lends the proverb a sense of timeless authority and traditional wisdom.
Antithesis
The balanced structure—contrasting the comprehensive 'all parts' with the singular 'any'—creates a memorable and rhetorically effective opposition between the process (listening) and the outcome (judging).
Transcription
Quotations
Here all parts, ere ye iudge any.
A man must heare all parts before that he giue iudgement of any.
Wee should know before wee iudge.
Every man may think his own cause just, till it be heard, and judged.
'Tis against Common Justice to pass Sentence without hearing Both sides.
Shakespeare Citations
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.