Do you Judge a BOOK by It's Cover?

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Let me start with a simple question. Do you judge a book by its cover?  On other words, do you form an opinion about someone with the first impression they make on you – be it how they appear, how they look, how they dress, how they speak etc.? (On a lighter note, if you really want to try a book by its cover to test your literary ability – try https://playjudgey.com/).

We make decisions fast. Attention spans have reduced dramatically.    How we buy things, how we influenced by advertisements,  perception, optics, ease of use, likability etc., are all driven by a basic human psychological trait.

If people are failing, they look inept. If people are succeeding, they look strong and good and competent. That's the 'halo effect.' Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs. If the company looks inept to you, you may assume everything else they do is inept.

Daniel Kahneman

It is easy to look down someone as cheap, not fitting the league based on certain traits. We face these situations regularly. All of us have certain ways of thinking. We use various filters on what we see, hear and say to make our own interpretations. Our brain is hardwired to take visual images to make a decision on various things. This tantamount to bias over time. Be it conscious or unconscious, developed over years with experiences, learning and perceptions. Our value systems contribute a lot to this.

If we take carbon, it could become a charcoal or a gas or a diamond based on the situation carbon goes through. Among us, we can see a  diamonds in the rough that stands the tests of time, withstanding  pressure. They end up to shine-up as a true diamond. As humans we can all take a similar analogy to carbon.

When you first hear Mozart's music, your first impression is that it's very alive, but if you peel away the layers, you can hear sorrow and sadness behind it, and that's what I try to be: multi-layered.

Park Chan-wook

On a personal note, I’ve been lucky to have worked with some great leaders who helped me shape up what I am, irrespective of how I look, what I wear etc. At the same time, I’ve been told certain unpleasant things by some people that I would rather refrain from saying in a public forum.  I have taken a stand to look through the surface to get to know about the person before being judgmental instead of making an opinion quickly.

I personally think - often, we may be wrong if we purely go with gut feeling and first impression. We need to apply our rational, intellectual mindset to make decisions when we deal with another human.

I want to showcase two videos here.

1.       Beat Your Bias, Question your first impression | Yassmin Abdel-Magied – TEDx Southbank Talk

2.       Test Your Awareness: Do The Test

What is your view? Comments are welcome!

See my other article on Unconscious Biases

Note:- Title Images created using CANVA. Authors of the quote referred where known. Most of the information shared is generic and available via the Internet. Respective trademarks owned by corresponding firms. Opinions about tools highlighted are from a personal experience standpoint and in no way reflect the views of my current or past employers or clients.