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Depends on the type of moment... I like Lord Acton's exhortation to "judge talent at its best and character at its worst".[1]

[1]: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_A...

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I think that's good advice in general, but you'll miss the point if you stick too closely to it. You kind of have to weight your judgments. I mean, yes, a guy who beats his wife if he's had a bad day at work should be judged pretty harshly based on that. But if you-at-your-worst is somebody who is kind of grumpy and maybe a little bit selfish, you're a whole lot better than somebody who constantly acts like a crabby miser.

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