Where men of judgment creep and feel their way, The positive pronounce without dismay.

Cowper contrasts two temperaments in forming opinions: the genuinely judicious proceed cautiously, aware of complexity and their own fallibility, while the “positive” (the dogmatic and self-assured) deliver verdicts confidently and without fear. The couplet satirizes overconfidence as a social and intellectual vice—certainty can be a performance rather than a sign of understanding. Its bite lies in the inversion of expectations: those best qualified to judge often hesitate, whereas those least qualified speak most loudly. The lines remain resonant as a critique of rash public opinion, polemics, and the tendency to mistake decisiveness for wisdom.