A golden rule: We must judge men, not by their opinions, but by what those opinions make of them.

Georg C. Lichtenberg (1742-1799) German physicist, writer

Aphorisms, Notebook J, #201, p. 966 (1789-93) [tr. Hollingdale (1990)]
    (Source)

Alternate translations:

• "A golden rule: we must judge people, not by their opinions, but by what these opinions make of them." [tr. Tester (2012)]
• It is a golden rule that one should not judge people according to their opinions, but according to what these opinions make of them.
• "It is a golden rule not to judge men by their opinions but rather by what their opinions make of them."
• "One must judge men not by their opinions, but by what their opinions have made of them."
• "Don't judge a man by his opinions, but what his opinions have made of him."