1) Is my default to judge others that are not like me or who do not act like me? Or, is my default to seek understanding of who they are, what their story is, and how we are the same?

The answer is "he was bad enough in all conscience, but the devil himself could not temp him to turn slave-trader. satirical is a synonym for sarcastic. so when the author says that tom walker could not be tempted by the devil he does not literally mean "the devil" but he means that he is too morally upright to become a slave-trader.

C. o l percieve myself and sing myeelf