by Hilda Gray

Created on: December 27, 2009

It is a sad truth, but much of what we judge others by is based upon what we see, and others judge us.  There isn't a day of my grown up life that I haven't been able to get up from my bed and spend my day without this concern, and I admit this with great shame.  But why is this the case?  Why is vision such a powerful influence on perception that it in return makes us give it much attention and care?

This is because we can judge the appearance of others the most easily.  For example, when judging a person's character, it takes a lot more effort to go deep down and talk to them about things like what they think about life.  But yet their personality is what has the most meaning.  Sometimes it is hard for us to access hints of their character, but we can always see a person.

The way we judge others based on their looks can sometimes be accurate, which is another reason why a lot of people continue to care about them.  People might assume of a shabbily dressed and unkempt individual that they are homeless, and this may be true.  People may assume that somebody who shows a lot of skin is desperate for attention, and this may also be true.  People may think that people who dress in Halloween costumes are weird.

On this note, appearances can also be used to portray concepts.  A Satanist might wear a shirt with a pentagram to represent their misleading beliefs.  Christians, God bless, may wear necklaces with crosses on them to show their remembrance of their savior.  A lot can be shown visually, and a lot of messages can be picked up through vision.

To demonstrate what I am saying, I would like you to imagine.  Imagine entering a grocery store to buy some fruit.  Before you enter, you groom yourself so that others are comfortable around you.  When you go in, you see a man and judge that he is old by the way his face looks.  You see a teen and judge that he is rebellious by his Mohawk.  You see a middle aged woman and judge that she is sloppy because of her unkempt appearance.

Appearance is always a big influence on us and we give it a lot of care.  This is because appearance is a strong influence on what we perceive, and likewise caring about our appearance can change the way others think about us.  It is a shallow thing to give too much concern to, but it is part of human nature.

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