Judges ought to be more leaned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Abov... — Francis Bacon

Judges ought to be more leaned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue.

Author: Francis Bacon

Insight: There's something quietly radical in Bacon's insistence that judges should be learned rather than clever. We live in an era that often mistakes quick wit for intelligence, where the ability to land a sharp remark or win an argument feels like wisdom. But Bacon is pointing to something harder: the difference between sounding good and actually knowing your subject deeply. A witty judge might charm you in the moment, but a learned one won't miss the detail that changes everything. The part about being "advised rather than confident" hits especially hard now. Confidence looks like strength, so leaders often perform it relentlessly. Yet Bacon suggests the opposite—that willingness to consult, to doubt, to revise your thinking based on new information, is actually what you want from someone wielding real power. Confidence can blind you. Advisedness keeps you honest. What makes this passage endure isn't just about the courtroom. It's about anyone in a position to affect others' lives: teachers, managers, parents, doctors. The temptation is always there to project certainty, to seem unshakeable. But Bacon reminds us that the people we should trust most are those humble enough to keep learning, questioning, and checking themselves. Integrity isn't flashy. It's the unglamorous work of staying honest when nobody's watching.