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We live in world where perception is reality.

Your immediate thought will be "no its not, reality is reality.

Unfortunately, I will beg to differ. Our fast paced, 21st century, instant communication, instant gratification, instant identification world has very little time for contemplative decision making.

Decisions must be made quickly with limited information.

This leads to snap decision based on what appeals to us, or what will appeal to others.

For example, if a couple in Bentley GT were to stop at a kerb and two people get out of the car, one is a very attractive young woman and the other is a considerable older man with a face like a twisted sandshoe, both well dressed and with obvious signs of money. A small peck on the cheek, and exchange of car keys and they go their separate ways with the woman getting back in the car and driving away.

There are three immediate choices for this scenario, "Trophy Wife" and rich husband, father and daughter, or salesman and customer.

Without further information, one of these choices must be made. Which one, without knowing, or wanting to know you will automatically make the call based on what you have perceived.

So in a world where most of us make a snap decision based on very little information, perception becomes reality.

How does that relate to the topic?, I hear you ask.

A person's car is one more layer of information with which we use to form judgements. Right or wrong, the type of car you drive, the state of the car and a whole lot of other factors about your car are providing lots of visual cues and information with which people make judgements.

A person in a new sports car will either be seen as a "go getter", an extrovert and a person who loves life (or as a wanker), a person in a high end passenger car (Rolls, Bentley, Mercedes, BMW), will be seen as successful person (or a wanker), a person in a Minivan, will be seen as a family person and a person in a SUV/Truck/Ute will be seen as a outdoors person (or a wanker).

So the type of car you drive will speak volumes about the type of person you are. None of this information will probably be correct, but it is merely perception versus reality.

Perception wins, its easier and you can prejudge everyone based on their cars. Much easier than actually spending time with someone getting to know them and making a informed decision.

It is so much easier judging a book by its cover.

Learn more about this author, Robert Mcmartin.
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