Judging by Appearances
Judge and Be Judged
Alias: Kimberly Chang If you see a disheveled, dirty old woman carrying an infant in her arms with the same state as she, what would you conclude? Most of us would think that they are poor and in dire need of help, while others would say that it is intentional for them to look like that because they could be an accomplice of a thief or a part of a big plan such as a scam. Then, there are other people with wild imagination that come up with random crazy ideas or pretend they don’t even notice the old woman. This is just an example of people judging a person just by what they look like. Judging a person based on their appearance isn’t an uncommon thing, everyone does it. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.
It is intrinsic in humans to judge. Those who say otherwise, I believe, are hypocrites. We form our own opinions about everyone that comes in our way, from our relatives, to our friends, to our neighbors, to our acquaintances, and to even random people you pass by every day. With this in mind, we try our best to look and feel good so that when others see us they judge us in a favorable way. It’s a two-way process: judge and be judged. Although as simple as it may sound, this process creates invisible barriers between people. A good example for this is discrimination. If you’re a guy with a Mohawk hairstyle, people in general connotes that either you’re a rebel, a rock band member, an atheist, an alcoholic, or just plain weird to even consider that hairstyle. Let me give you another example, picture this: a lady wearing micro-shorts, a tank top and flip-flops in a mall. Some would say she is a flirt, for others a prostitute and some would conclude that she has little to no education at all just because she wore that kind of clothing. See? By judging based on appearances we put them into various categories: rich, poor, handsome, ugly, fat, skinny, mentally challenged or educated, etc.
Although it is in our nature to judge
Alias: Kimberly Chang If you see a disheveled, dirty old woman carrying an infant in her arms with the same state as she, what would you conclude? Most of us would think that they are poor and in dire need of help, while others would say that it is intentional for them to look like that because they could be an accomplice of a thief or a part of a big plan such as a scam. Then, there are other people with wild imagination that come up with random crazy ideas or pretend they don’t even notice the old woman. This is just an example of people judging a person just by what they look like. Judging a person based on their appearance isn’t an uncommon thing, everyone does it. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.
It is intrinsic in humans to judge. Those who say otherwise, I believe, are hypocrites. We form our own opinions about everyone that comes in our way, from our relatives, to our friends, to our neighbors, to our acquaintances, and to even random people you pass by every day. With this in mind, we try our best to look and feel good so that when others see us they judge us in a favorable way. It’s a two-way process: judge and be judged. Although as simple as it may sound, this process creates invisible barriers between people. A good example for this is discrimination. If you’re a guy with a Mohawk hairstyle, people in general connotes that either you’re a rebel, a rock band member, an atheist, an alcoholic, or just plain weird to even consider that hairstyle. Let me give you another example, picture this: a lady wearing micro-shorts, a tank top and flip-flops in a mall. Some would say she is a flirt, for others a prostitute and some would conclude that she has little to no education at all just because she wore that kind of clothing. See? By judging based on appearances we put them into various categories: rich, poor, handsome, ugly, fat, skinny, mentally challenged or educated, etc.
Although it is in our nature to judge