Behind the smile

Judging

People are frequently judged. You will be judged everywhere you go, at all times. Whether it's based on your beliefs, your appearance, who you hang out with, your personality, or your actions, humans have a tendency to form impressions or stereotypes about people-even if they've never met the person before. It is human nature for people to form opinions about others based on their first impressions.

Unfortunately, as humans, we cannot see past a person's appearance because we can only see what the eye allows us to see. As a result, first impressions are frequently the worst way to judge a person because you truly don't know anything about the person and only seeing the "cover of the book." For example, do we evaluate a book based on its size, attractiveness, or color? Do we judge people based on their height, weight, race, or attractiveness? Judging a person based on his or her appearance can have a negative impact on how a person forms personal relationships, feelings, and job opportunities.

What effect would judging have on a person? Let me run through some scenarios with you. Sara, an eleventh-grade student with impressive knowledge and creativity, attempted suicide. She was a smart student and would score high marks in every subject. She had a promising future ahead of her, but all of her peers were disturbing her and did not admire her. Indeed, because she wearing abhorrent clothing, they thought she was a nerd and judged her to be very poor. Sara didn't give much thought to what she wore because she didn't care what others thought of her clothes. Every day, people call her names and tease her. She finally attempted suicide one day to put an end to the distress. Her mom stopped her, but her life would have ended if she had not rescued her in time.

That person you called ugly yesterday tried to commit suicide and overdosed. That one statement you said, would change a person's whole life. The way they think, their actions, their personality, their mood, everything.