QUESTION: How should you judge a person?
As I was waiting on the sidewalk for the walk signal, I was bored enough to look inside the vehicles of those passing by. I was surprised when my assumption of those driving their vehicles was not what I expected. I saw an elderly man driving a luxury car; I saw two burly men driving a Volkswagen Beetle; I saw a young woman driving an intimidating Ford truck. It surprised me so much that I almost forgot to cross the road.
Judging others by what car they drove was a fatal mistake I made.
Without being told, we automatically make assumptions about people as soon as we meet them based on the clothes they wear, the manner in how they talk, and especially what is on their faces. Without knowing any information about them, assumptions like that should be the best way to judge a person, right?
I recently had a conversation with a person working in facilities management for my college campus. Their appearance resembled that of an experienced janitor, at least that is the assumption I made. Our conversation first started out with me asking him a question about his job, but then it progressed into a variety of topics, ranging from the campus’s cleanliness and the history of campus to the future of genetic modification and intelligence automation. We talked for about an hour before I remembered I had to go somewhere and he had to finish his job. But my assumption of him was clearly wrong. In fact, he told me that he enjoyed our talk because his coworkers don’t provide him enough mental stimulation. I, too, enjoyed our talk.
If asked the question of what is the best way to judge a person, I’d say took look into their eyes and also pay attention to the way they interact with people and objects. In other words, observe how they act. You can tell when a person’s eyes light up in a conversation, which is a sign that something was said that piqued their interest. As for interactions, pay attention to how they act around others as well as how they act by themselves. A lot can be said from a person’s body language. Judging people by observing them sounds a lot harder and more time consuming compared to judging people by their appearances. It is, but the more you judge by observation, the easier it becomes. In due time, you’ll appreciate judging by observation as the results will be more rewarding and beneficial.
TAKEAWAY: Look at drivers insider their cars instead of looking at their cars to make a better judgement.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.