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People’s Choice.
These were judged top trees by the general public at major shows; in some
cases they were also award-winning trees. But why did the public make this
judgment? I do not think you will have trouble answering this one. We have
all seen it at our local shows. If it is in flower, has berries, or brightly colored
leaves or even something strangely exotic/artistic, the public go for it. This is
human nature not good judgement; it looks pretty like a beauty queen or an
extraordinarily pretty actress who can’t act but gets rave reviews.
Judging comes in many forms. It may surprise higher of their own trees than they really should, and
you when I say that just about every bonsai exhibit is that they believe that the bonsai of their nation is in
judged. How is that? In the end, the trees that are to generally better than they are, when looked at objec-
be exhibited are selected from many—what is that but tively. This is human nature and we forgive it. Some
judging? How does this happen? Someone will have feelings may get hurt along the way, but it happens.
to tell someone else which trees to take to the show Hurting of feelings is not often considered; in fact it is
and which ones to leave at home and they will have to generally not even talked about but accepted as neces-
give reasons. The owners are often the poorest judges sary collateral damage.
of their own trees—human nature is like that. It is ac- What I really ask is, why are otherwise reasonable, in-
cepted that a mother will always defend her child and telligent, cultivated and learned people often utterly un-
she would always feel that he is better in every respect reasonable about judging their own tree? I suppose once
than how others may see him through more objective again it is human nature to be unable to judge yourself
eyes. That is human nature and we forgive her. It is to be with impartiality, but would you expect the gap between
expected that in general bonsai folks think somewhat objectivity and personal perception to be so wide?
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