Appearances Can Be Deceiving
LOOKING BEYOND THE REFLECTION OF OUR EYES
Humans tend to link beauty with goodness, often thinking that if someone is beautiful then he/she must be of good character. However, external appearances should not be the measure of good virtue. How many times have you avoided building strong relationships because the external appearance of a person did not meet your standards of “good character”? How many times have you made a conclusion that a person is not morally acceptable based on how they look? Indeed, many times how a person looks keeps us away from understanding their real character. We are visual creatures, and many times, we believe what our eyes see. However, many times we forget that there is much more behind the reflection of our eyes. “Societal norms” have made us believe that there is this “perfect” picture of how a person of good character should look. Those norms are subjective-not incorporating the individuality and diversity of each person. We should bear in mind that our judgments many times could be wrong.
When we make judgments based on looks, we are creating a limitation on our behaviors and ourselves. Everyone has a story, experiences, and knowledge. Imagine how much we can learn from other people and expand our knowledge if it were not for judgments. Accepting the diversity of each other and keeping an open mind is a key step in breaking that limitation. No matter how much information we try to gather based on a person’s look, the true essence of their character can only be discovered through understanding and communication. Thinking that we have deciphered a person’s personality based on their appearance is very illusive. Perhaps is an old instinct we once used to protect ourselves. However, we have to realize that we are now very complex and cognitive organisms. Relying on instincts will only make us move backwards.
Furthermore, history has demonstrated that judgment based on appearances can be very dangerous. It has been the root of the
Humans tend to link beauty with goodness, often thinking that if someone is beautiful then he/she must be of good character. However, external appearances should not be the measure of good virtue. How many times have you avoided building strong relationships because the external appearance of a person did not meet your standards of “good character”? How many times have you made a conclusion that a person is not morally acceptable based on how they look? Indeed, many times how a person looks keeps us away from understanding their real character. We are visual creatures, and many times, we believe what our eyes see. However, many times we forget that there is much more behind the reflection of our eyes. “Societal norms” have made us believe that there is this “perfect” picture of how a person of good character should look. Those norms are subjective-not incorporating the individuality and diversity of each person. We should bear in mind that our judgments many times could be wrong.
When we make judgments based on looks, we are creating a limitation on our behaviors and ourselves. Everyone has a story, experiences, and knowledge. Imagine how much we can learn from other people and expand our knowledge if it were not for judgments. Accepting the diversity of each other and keeping an open mind is a key step in breaking that limitation. No matter how much information we try to gather based on a person’s look, the true essence of their character can only be discovered through understanding and communication. Thinking that we have deciphered a person’s personality based on their appearance is very illusive. Perhaps is an old instinct we once used to protect ourselves. However, we have to realize that we are now very complex and cognitive organisms. Relying on instincts will only make us move backwards.
Furthermore, history has demonstrated that judgment based on appearances can be very dangerous. It has been the root of the