The Judgments We Make

Maybe I just really enjoyed starting off a post with a quote last week, so here's another one!
"All of these foods might be found in any Dupster and can be evaluated...largely based on appearance...foods which cannot be correctly evaluated with additional information." - Barbara Eighner
When speaking on the wastefulness brought by consumerism in America, Eighner points out how we tend to judge food based on what it looks like, in order to determine its longevity. However, this mere look that we give some bread or milk or even chocolate could create a total misjudgment, especially when we are unaware of what "expired food" actually is. If we are so easily able to do this to something like food, how easy does it become for us to judge people?

I would like to say that I don't judge people by their appearances, but the truth is that I do, and you probably do too. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. To be completely honest, I have probably created so many predispositions about people that I have no idea about solely based on rumors, Instagram pictures, screenshots, etc. Obviously, this is not something I want to happen; in fact, most of it occurs unconsciously from societal stereotypes.

Take a look at Instagram. Its concept is built solely on the idea that you will like a picture based on whether or not you like what someone posts. Seeing as people know that they will be judged here, they tend to put their best pictures out. However, it can often cause people to create unwanted ideas about another person. For example, a girl that posted a picture in her bikini could be judged on her body and called "hoe", "whore", or even "slut". What if she was just enjoying her vacation?

We tend to do this most with celebrities, which ends up being quite destructive for them. Imagine having millions of people judge what you look like every single day. Maybe you didn't feel like dressing up and chose to wear some sweats out in public. Once the paparazzi catches you, you become tormented with comments of "slob" and "hobo", while many of those same people may be sitting in their bed, in sweats. This could bring up the debate of whether celebrities deserve this because of the lifestyle they chose, but that's a different story....

It is understandable that we are visual creatures and that basic judgments can't be avoided, but it's important to be aware of the ones you make. Would you ever want anyone to judge you based on your worst moment or one mistake that you made? Perhaps, it's time to realize that actions are what matter most and we should base our predispositions on them rather than just on how someone looks.
Here's a funny meme that kind of relates to the topic?? Enjoy!

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