SoulPancake / Conversations / Is judging people based on appearance always a bad thing?

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You're totaly right! I was just filling in a tag on my own blog when I realized I wanted to mention this matter. I looked for a good picture on Google and found this once. Well done! ;)

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You would never have heard a half decent love story in your life without initial judgement of looks

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No cause when you see someone and they are holding a gun on someone or stabbing someone. it becomes obvious that something is wrong there.

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There are lots of things I'm in to that people wouldn't necessarily appoint me to because of my appearance. e.g. my taste in music is rap and also rock music (post hardcore etc) but people wouldn't know that without talking to me first! But I often would draw myself to people who look like we'd share interests; so there's two sides to it I think!

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I think that it can be helpful to use the way that people present themselves to understand them. The problem comes when we peg a person as something and refuse to change that view.

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Up until recently, I listen to what someone is saying before even knowing what they look like. Their words create an image in my mind and while I'm listening I actually produce an image in my brain and compare what they really look like to what their words are painting.

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I think it is inevitable we are affected by appearance for all the reasons mentioned by others however for me as a human being I need to examine my feelings before I judge (a word I hate) someone. In some cases I may misjudge for the wrong reasons such as a person's appearance reminds me of some one I strongly like or dislike. I have found that looking inward first when I am uncomfortable keeps me (not always) from making some pretty dumb assumptions.

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It's inevitable to judge a person on how they look. But you should not make that judgment to be final because that might change if you got to know that person. :) In short, have an open mind about things and everything's gonna be fine.

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I tend to judge myself way to harshly...especially when it comes to girls (it's the truth). I'm just very self conscience.

I do think that if you see a guy with an eyepatch, peg leg, and is holding the skull of his latest victim....than that may be a good time to run.

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I think the saying should be "don't ALWAYS judge a book by its cover." I agree with you that people often represent themselves by what they dress themselves in but sometimes the personality does not match their appearance.

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I think judging in general should be avoided

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This is why branding genetically inferior people should be the rule rather than exception.

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No. Its not a bad thing, we are wired to judge people from the outside (looks) as well as the inside (personality) its only natural for humans to assess other human beings in this way. However how far we go to judge others based on outside and even inside is not always ok. I think we sometimes judge a person too quickly without realizing we are even doing it.

I agree with what you said "how we choose to decorate ourselves with is how we express who we are in an external way". Yes I do believe that is sometimes the case. However the difference is (and this is very important) people have hugely different perceptions of the image they choose to create for themselves..... dress/hair/makeup/bodyart. For example a goth looking girl could be a shy, withdrawn, anxious, introvert on the inside, and she uses this look to come across as a tough, don't mess with me, i know myself and my image. Or on the other hand she could be a confident, outgoing, gregarious, image aware young lady who just happens to love heavy make up, dark hair, dark clothes and has a soft spot for heavy metal. The truth (and now this is all only my opinion) is that I agree with the statement 50% but the truth is you never really know how the image of a person is being conveyed through their eyes.

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We look at people very scrutinously and we can tell a lot about them, but do I judge them? I realize there is a lot more to a persons appearance then whether or not they are physically attractive. There are probably plenty of "beautiful" people in this world, who have a bad appearance. Appearance is a reflection of societies perception of that person.

Just for fun lets compare a fat corporate lady with a fit tribal lady. How is it that we would look at the tribal lady and think she is worse off then a typical American woman.

Why don't we judge ourselves and ask where we get our own ideas of beauty and adequate appearance, before we say,"Yes", I judge someone based off my own misconceptions of a stereotype.

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People always say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But lets be honest. Pretty much everyone judges people on their first look. It's our human reaction to say 'eww she's ugly' or 'woah he's pretty cute'
It's natural, and even though I wish people didn't judge on appearance, the truth is, is that they do. And I guess we just have to face facts and live with it.

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Yes.

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No. Everyone judges based on looks. It's a trait we've inherited that helps us avoid getting sick, avoid passing on freaky mutant undesirable genetic material and identify people we know and, sometimes, people we trust. I wouldn't want to be near a man who is sick, have kids with someone of a poor gene pool (history of terrible genetic diseases etc) and I wouldn't make dealings with a guy with a shaved head who likes to go to meetings wearing a white sheet adorned with red crosses. Eveeyone judges people in this way whether they'd admit it or not.

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I'm supposed to decorate myself now? hmmm

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Not always. Some people go out of their way to adopt a certain style of dress or appearance to identify themselves with a particular group or belief. They make it fairly obvious that they wish to be associated a certain way. (And it should come as no surprise to them that people act accordingly towards them because of it) But even that is hardly a be-all, end-all definition of a person, no matter what their appearance.

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My initial impression may be based on looks, particularly if a person has chosen to represent a stereotype... For example, a bald-headed man with Dr. Marten's ox-blood boots and a swastika tattoo on the back of his neck. I'll probably avoid that guy.

But what if that guy has had a change of heart? Granted it's not the perfect example.

classieQ

Is judging people based on appearance always a bad thing?

IlsetenHave

You're totaly right! I was just filling in a tag on my own blog when I realized I wanted to mention this matter. I looked for a good picture on Google and found this once. Well done! ;)

BreMore

You would never have heard a half decent love story in your life without initial judgement of looks

Kimberlygbianco

No cause when you see someone and they are holding a gun on someone or stabbing someone. it becomes obvious that something is wrong there.

STHF37

foxinsox

I think that it can be helpful to use the way that people present themselves to understand them. The problem comes when we peg a person as something and refuse to change that view.

BronxStarr68

Up until recently, I listen to what someone is saying before even knowing what they look like. Their words create an image in my mind and while I'm listening I actually produce an image in my brain and compare what they really look like to what their words are painting.

intrigued

GtotheV

It's inevitable to judge a person on how they look. But you should not make that judgment to be final because that might change if you got to know that person. :) In short, have an open mind about things and everything's gonna be fine.

FangMcCool

I tend to judge myself way to harshly...especially when it comes to girls (it's the truth). I'm just very self conscience.

I do think that if you see a guy with an eyepatch, peg leg, and is holding the skull of his latest victim....than that may be a good time to run.

kookycookie

I think the saying should be "don't ALWAYS judge a book by its cover." I agree with you that people often represent themselves by what they dress themselves in but sometimes the personality does not match their appearance.

Pomegranate

I think judging in general should be avoided

HonourLegion

This is why branding genetically inferior people should be the rule rather than exception.

letsthinkaboutthat

Jalapeno_Thunder

Lauren__G

SeantheFawn

Yes.

NotNuerotypical

barryjack

I'm supposed to decorate myself now? hmmm

BuddhaRocks

zamfir

SoulPancake

hand–crafted in Atwater Village

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Is judging people based on appearance always a bad thing?

You're totaly right! I was just filling in a tag on my own blog when I realized I wanted to mention this matter. I looked for a good picture on Google and found this once. Well done! ;)

You would never have heard a half decent love story in your life without initial judgement of looks

No cause when you see someone and they are holding a gun on someone or stabbing someone. it becomes obvious that something is wrong there.

I think that it can be helpful to use the way that people present themselves to understand them. The problem comes when we peg a person as something and refuse to change that view.

Up until recently, I listen to what someone is saying before even knowing what they look like. Their words create an image in my mind and while I'm listening I actually produce an image in my brain and compare what they really look like to what their words are painting.

It's inevitable to judge a person on how they look. But you should not make that judgment to be final because that might change if you got to know that person. :) In short, have an open mind about things and everything's gonna be fine.

I tend to judge myself way to harshly...especially when it comes to girls (it's the truth). I'm just very self conscience.I do think that if you see a guy with an eyepatch, peg leg, and is holding the skull of his latest victim....than that may be a good time to run.

I think the saying should be "don't ALWAYS judge a book by its cover." I agree with you that people often represent themselves by what they dress themselves in but sometimes the personality does not match their appearance.

I think judging in general should be avoided

This is why branding genetically inferior people should be the rule rather than exception.

Yes.

I'm supposed to decorate myself now? hmmm

SoulPancake

hand–crafted in Atwater Village

About SoulPancake

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I tend to judge myself way to harshly...especially when it comes to girls (it's the truth). I'm just very self conscience.

I do think that if you see a guy with an eyepatch, peg leg, and is holding the skull of his latest victim....than that may be a good time to run.