Do You Judge Books By Their Covers?

Okay, I’m actually referring to judging people here, not books. But you know the saying I’m referring to: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

A recent article in The New York Times called “Yes, Looks Do Matter,” features interviews with social scientists who claim that “there are reasons we quickly size people up based on how they look. Snap judgments about people are crucial to the way we function, even when those judgments are very wrong.”

The article goes on to quote David Amodi, an assistant professor of psychology at NYU: “Stereotypes are seen as a necessary mechanism for making sense of information. If we look at a chair, we can categorize it quickly, even though there are many different kind of chairs out there.”

Most of us naturally do this same categorization with people.

So why the sudden interest in the ways in which we judge others based on their physical appearance? Two words: Susan Boyle.

As you’ve probably seen, Susan Boyle has recently risen to international fame following her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent (you can ). The fact that Susan is in her late forties and looks like, as some have described her, a “frumpy spinster,” seems to have made it all the more shocking when her musical performance was as lovely as can be. In fact, when you watch the video, you can see how the audience went from completely discounting her before she opened her mouth (rolling eyes and all) to cheering her on to victory once they realized she actually had talent.

Like the New York Times article says, judging people is part of the way we’re wired. But if you’ve ever been judged or labeled, and I have…plenty, you know it doesn’t feel so great. In fact, if we’re judged, or labeled, or stereotyped enough, we might start believing those preconceptions ourselves.

One of the things I’ve been working on lately is noticing when I judge people or make assumptions about others based on what they look like, what kind of car they drive, where they live, and so on. Once I make that notice, I try to discard those preconceptions and stereotypes, and instead, make an effort to find out more. I’m usually proven wrong…

Do you ever get pre-judged by people who don’t really know anything about you? Do you find yourself guilty of judging others?