Judging a Book by it's Cover
My favorite example of judging a book by it's cover from my own experience occurred several years ago. It was on a Saturday and I had been working in my yard planting flowers while I waited until it was time to go to the store. My TV had broke so I needed a new one. So, after working in the yard, I went to Circuit City dressed in dirty jeans and an old sweatshirt. As I walked into the store, a young women entered behind me dresses like she was headed to an embassy cocktail party. Several salespeople came running, passed me, and all wanted to help the young lady. She bought a package of two blank tape cassettes for 99 cents. I bought a $350 television.
Another of my personal experiences with this phenomena was in the work environment. Some ten or twelve years ago, I was on a computer services project in downtown Washington, DC. We had one young guy, a recent college graduate, who always dressed like a CEO of a corporation. When he showed up for a job interview, perfectly groomed, with expensive designer suits, and the ability to dazzle the interviewers with his speech, he always got hired. It took about three months for our boss to realize he was totally incompetent. He may have had the degree and the look, but he could not apply the knowledge. I'm sure though that he had no problem getting hired when he went out for another interview.
I'm sure if most of us had met Gandhi, St. Francis or Jesus when they were alive, most of us would have given them no more attention than a homeless guy sleeping on a park bench. The classic mistake of judging by appearances rather than content.
Another of my personal experiences with this phenomena was in the work environment. Some ten or twelve years ago, I was on a computer services project in downtown Washington, DC. We had one young guy, a recent college graduate, who always dressed like a CEO of a corporation. When he showed up for a job interview, perfectly groomed, with expensive designer suits, and the ability to dazzle the interviewers with his speech, he always got hired. It took about three months for our boss to realize he was totally incompetent. He may have had the degree and the look, but he could not apply the knowledge. I'm sure though that he had no problem getting hired when he went out for another interview.
I'm sure if most of us had met Gandhi, St. Francis or Jesus when they were alive, most of us would have given them no more attention than a homeless guy sleeping on a park bench. The classic mistake of judging by appearances rather than content.
I had a very similar thing happen to me. After my house was destroyed by fire, I needed to buy furniture for the new house. I had been cleaning up the debre left from the fire and was dressed in jeans and a shirt and decided to go shopping for the new furniture. I went into a well known four story furniture store and walked around each floor and saw many sales people. Every one of them looked at me and went back to what they were doing. I left and went to another store where I received immediate attention as soon as I walked in and I bought all my furniture from that store. So, I agree, you should never judge someone by the way they look. They could be a diamond in the rough.
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This is so true and happens all the time in our society. I deal with this subject all the time. I am a heavily tattooed women so people often form all sorts of judgments and opinions. In reality I'm smart, bright, friendly and competent. I am often ignored in stores or hear comments like she must not work and nonsense like that. I own a very successful business. My husband and I own 3 lovely homes and have a wonderful life. We're kind and generous people who do a lot for our community. We are large supporters or the food bank. I volunteer my time as a committee member for the food bank, the River Festival, the Historical Society etc. But people who don't know me make very different assumptions.
My son recently told me he went to a local jewelry store to buy his new wife a gift. He is part owner in my business and makes excellent money. He is also tattooed and pierced. The clerk at the jewelry store literally ignored him! There was no one else in the store and she sat there totally ignoring him. He asked for help and she had an awful attitude like he was wasting her time. Someone else came in and she rushed over to help them. They just asked a couple questions and left. He, disgusted with her attitude against him left and went to another jewelry store and bought his wife a lovely bracelet.
I told him not to let it bother him to look at who it really hurt. It hurt her, she didn't make the sale and he ended up making the purchase anyway but somewhere that treated him right.
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