I had an interesting experience. I now work in the electronics section of Costco. I approached someone to answer his obvious questions about the hard drive he was staring down like a cow stares at an oncoming train. He then asked me if another employee that I work with was there. I replied that he was on break and that I was happy to answer his questions.
Somewhat reluctantly he asked me his question. After I answered, he then bombarded me with questions about all sorts of different things for the next forty minutes. When he was out of questions, he took a step back and regarded me from top to bottom. His next statement surprised me. "When you first came up, you looked like you would know more about athletics than electronics." I was slightly flustered at his candor. It's safe to say that it gave me some food for thought.
It's amazing how much we judge. We do it so much we don't even know how much we do it. I did it as well when I first approached him. And it made me realize that my choice of major in college also surprises people. It's funny that people equate physical prowess with a lack of higher brain function and creativity. As if I need to be skinny and nerdy to be creative. This was especially apparent when my teacher unexpectedly asked me to present my paper to my senior seminar class the other day. This was the college equivalent of the teacher reading the names aloud of the kids who got an A on the spelling quiz in first grade. As I read my thesis statement in a paper about false conceptions about love in LDS culture as made apparent in the movie Inception, I could almost hear my fellow classmates' opinion of me changing.
Now I don't say this to set myself up as a pariah or anything, it's just interesting. Because the opposite may also be true. As much as we categorize and label others negatively, the opposite also occurs. Too often, we are inclined to give others the benefit of the doubt. Especially when they appear to be so happy and "put together" or when they fit in with our prejudices. When in fact, often "in the quiet heart is hidden / sorrow that the eye can't see."
[Keep Following. Food for thought.]
Way to quote a hymn. I MUST read this paper some day. It reminds me of the time a teacher said he'd give extra credit to anyone who would write a paper about Star Wars being a Greek Tradgey. Needless to say....extra credit earned!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've learned a lot through my mission about not making quick judgments. My best friends now live in smelly dog infested houses and have very few teeth. Who cares? What they do have is a love for God and huge hearts.