Why is Judging By Appearances So Bad?
Let’s be honest. We all judge things by what we see and even though we all do it, some people seem to believe that this concept is evil of us.
Why is that? Why is it wrong to use our strongest sense to judge the value of what we encounter?
- Would you pay a ‘new car’ price for a car that appears to be scratched, dented and beaten up? If it still drives, why would you care what it looks like. Just pay the full price and drive it off the lot.
- Would you pay full-price for a television with a cracked screen? It’s only going to affect how the images look. It won’t change the functionality.
- Would you wear your dirtiest, grungiest, greasiest overalls to your wedding? It’s only going to change the way that your wedding looks. You’ll still be married.
One thing that I’ve learned since I’ve been in the military is that you can learn a lot about life through simple observations. You can pay attention to details and gain amazing insights about people, about places, and about events.
In fact, I often teach my soldiers a simple phrase, “Observation before interrogation.” Simply look around. Pay attention and you won’t have to ask nearly as many questions.
Observation is powerful. Details are important. We should be visual creatures and we should be teaching others to use this powerful sense to make accurate judgments but just as we discussed in my last article, we should also be working to provide the design and flawless details that demonstrates professionalism and expertise on our blogs.
We should be working to appeal and provide support to those who use this vital sense as they weigh the importance of our blogs and websites. We should provide a visual layout that is easy to interact with, simple to navigate, comfortable to read, and fun to look at.
Murlu said:
In a natural sense, we react the way we do based on survival.
I know it’s a bit crude hearing it but when we see people that we don’t like, our natural reaction is to retract even if we try to be proper.
It’s simply the body telling us to get away from the person. In a pack/survival aspect, this person would be the ‘outsider’ hence we don’t want to be around them.
It’s difficult to overcome this feeling but you can become more open over time so that the personality comes out.
Although I like what you said, you have to keep a heightened sense of awareness.
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Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing said:
Mistake #1, comparing objects to people. Sure, if the car is banged up, it has been in an accident and you shouldn’t pay full price. Duh.
The design looks like crap, but the content is stellar. Perhaps he doesn’t know design or a good designer, perhaps he can’t afford it just yet.
Perhaps he just doesn’t care, thinking the smart ones will read first, judge 2nd as it should be.
You talk about making accurate judgments; sorry, nearly impossible using snap assessments based solely on looks.
Martin said:
I love the way you keep coming up with great content. Really need some of your inspiration.
Joe from New Jersy Carpet Cleaning said:
I don’t think judgement has to do with anything “evil”. Our left brain is constantly in a state of judgement. It is necessary to survival (even animals judge).
Many spiritual traditions speak of non-judgement and it’s true that non-judgement can bring some peace of mind as long as it’s balanced with logic and observation.
Balance the left and right brain, yin and yang, etc.
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Keith Bloemendaal said:
I coming to your house in overalls and no shirt!
Onibalusi Bamidele said:
I think the reason for thisis our upbringing.
People do most things because they are brought up to do so, that is why people go to school and the likes.
We have been brought up to judge by physical appearance which is why many people think it is best.
Thanks a lot for the great post,
-Onibalusi
Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown said:
An awesome point, observation is really important.
I ask a lot of questions (at times) and that is a result of poor observation.
I think by observing we can judge mentality, traits of a person.
And for a website the design and content are the factors that are judged by the reader
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Firegirl said:
I don’t like using the word “judgements” when we are talking about looks. To me, it’s more like an assessment. There are many things that are factored into a situation, not just the looks of a person. Where I’m at, who I’m with, if I’m armed, etc.
But I will admit, if I don’t like what I see and where I’m at, I’ll walk away. It’s just not worth taking chances. Follow your gut.
As far as observation goes, I’ve been playing a game with myself lately, trying to get my observation skills up on a higer level. I pretend I’m House, the doctor from the show. I know he’s a fictional character, but it’s amazing what you learn about people when you just pay a little more attention than usual. It’s also fun!
Thu Nguyen said:
‘Observation before assessment’
Quite a powerful concept and not a lot of us practice observation much because well it’s like saying think before you act.
Do you normally think about something when you act on it?
Now with everything, that’s a bit too much and overwhelming but when you really need it, it’s a skill which can be helpful in lending you a different perspective. Thus, it eliminates a few things – assumptions, anger and ego.
I liked that @firegirl called judgements assessment because basically that’s what it is if you look at it from another perspective. Overall, being quick to judge might lead you to miss out on opportunities more than see them.
With the physical features you’ve mentioned, sometimes the best things are said without all the fancy art. You just have to strip it from another view.
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Wendy said:
I think of your examples the car is the most relevant. There are some websites with power under the hood mechanically sound but on the outside they look like total junkers, and others that are quite impressive on the outside but can turn out to be total lemons.
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Jorgen @ Personal Branding said:
I disagree with you Nicholas, at least in my case the strongest sense is my gut feeling. It has saved my butt a few times when stuff has looked great but something did not sit right. Then again I am a bit sceptic by nature!
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Monica Ricci said:
Well said sir! First impressions set the tone & expectation of what’s to come and create a “gut” feeling which more often than not is to be trusted. I believe making initial judgments based on appearance is an ingrained survival skill — our eyes are our front line defense. The information they gather help us assess whether it’s safe to proceed. We can’t just turn this mechanism off when it comes to people. Great post!
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Monica Ricci said:
PS: You can *disagree* with the concept of making an initial assessment based on appearance, but it will still continue to happen. It’s sort of like gravity… you don’t have to believe in it but it still affects your life.
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