Judging books by their covers

M

Muskrat

Senior Member
Location
Mainly arizona
Ever been wrong? I have been caught by my misconceptions so many many times I am very wary of judgement. Whether it is a priest molesting children or a tatted up wild looking piece of humanity I prefer to know a person.
 

Muskrat said:
Ever been wrong? I have been caught by my misconceptions so many many times I am very wary of judgement. Whether it is a priest molesting children or a tatted up wild looking piece of humanity I prefer to know a person.
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What is there to further know about a priest who abused/raped a child? I can see, maybe somewhat, our sometimes quick judgement of tattooed lusers, but in no way regarding child abusers do I think they need further "understanding".
 
Judging a book by its cover? Ever been wrong?

Not too often. First impressions are a foundation for the rest of the building, at least for me.
 
Shoes. One of the things that I learned over the years, when dealing with the public as an Ambulance officer, and later as an Auxiliary Police constable. Hands, what they look like, and how the person uses them. The running joke with coppers is....How do you stop an Italian guy from talking? Cuff his hands behind his back..... Faces. If somebody can't look me in the eyes, I become curious about why ? Fidgety and unable to stay still ? Drug user ? Smells bad ? Can't stop talking ? Clues my friend, clues.

Of course the ripped and torn clothing from decades ago, is now fashionable with some people. Wearing 2 overcoats in July ? Possible mental illness. Talking to people who are only visible to them ? Same thing. Repeated physical movements such as sitting down and getting up again, over and over ? Clues. JimB.
 
When i was very young my father warned us about jumping to conclusions about people, also about prejudging based on external factors. We were taught to observe how someone behaves, if whether what they say they value and how they behave are consistent with one another with the caveat that behavior is the more accurate indicator of their character.

i have more often had problems because i was reserving judgement or giving someone 'benefit of doubt' for too long than because i rushed to judgement.
 
I have to admit that I judged Paul Whelan by his appearances alone. He looks like such a nice, honorable guy. Turns out, he's not any of that.
 
jimintoronto said:
Shoes. One of the things that I learned over the years, when dealing with the public as an Ambulance officer, and later as an Auxiliary Police constable. Hands, what they look like, and how the person uses them. The running joke with coppers is....How do you stop an Italian guy from talking? Cuff his hands behind his back..... Faces. If somebody can't look me in the eyes, I become curious about why ? Fidgety and unable to stay still ? Drug user ? Smells bad ? Can't stop talking ? Clues my friend, clues.

Of course the ripped and torn clothing from decades ago, is now fashionable with some people. Wearing 2 overcoats in July ? Possible mental illness. Talking to people who are only visible to them ? Same thing. Repeated physical movements such as sitting down and getting up again, over and over ? Clues. JimB.
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Nope... sheeps in wolves clothing.. is where most of the bad 'uns are..how easy life would be if we could tell just by the fact they smell bad or talk a lot..
 
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jimintoronto said:
Shoes. One of the things that I learned over the years, when dealing with the public as an Ambulance officer, and later as an Auxiliary Police constable. Hands, what they look like, and how the person uses them. The running joke with coppers is....How do you stop an Italian guy from talking? Cuff his hands behind his back..... Faces. If somebody can't look me in the eyes, I become curious about why ? Fidgety and unable to stay still ? Drug user ? Smells bad ? Can't stop talking ? Clues my friend, clues.

Of course the ripped and torn clothing from decades ago, is now fashionable with some people. Wearing 2 overcoats in July ? Possible mental illness. Talking to people who are only visible to them ? Same thing. Repeated physical movements such as sitting down and getting up again, over and over ? Clues. JimB.
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My late husband could do that. He could spend two minutes with a person and could tell everything about him.
He walked up to a guy standing next to our truck and said, "How long have you been out?" The guy said, "a week" "How did you know?"
"Your shoes." He was an ex-Federal Marshal so he was trained to be observant, but it blew me away!

Me: I only pre-judge by the softness of one's voice, and that is only to determine an evolved soul, and perhaps the way they use words to determine their intelligence. One's eyes tell a lot about them. (whether you can trust them or not)
but I'm a novice at reading people.
 
Up thread I mentioned people's hands as a clue to their way of living. Prison tats are a way to figure out what somebody has been doing with their life. Hands necks and faces are typical places for gang signs to be seen. Manners of speech can also indicate that somebody is a career criminal. Calling me Boss or Chief is a sign that the person is used to using that phrase when speaking to the prison guards back at his "home away from home ". Even their kids will use some slang expression to explain why Mum or Dad is not around for the last couple of years. JimB.
 
Indiana Joe said:
I guess I missed that part. Assuming that all priests are pedos, or that all cops are crooked, is the sign of someone, whom I think, has a lot of problems within themselves and are projecting rather than forming a considered judgement.
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It was not a clear sentence, my interpretation was based on what his point was
Muskrat said:
What I meant was assuming a priest is a good person…then finding they are not. Assuming the person who looks like a thug is a bad person…and finding out they have a heart of gold. Those kinds of things….
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Ah, makes sense, since your point was that we shouldn't judge to quick i flipped it -- but amounts to same thing: Assumptions, especially highly prejudicial ones, are not a a 'good thing'.
 

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