Recently I was reminded of how petty and misunderstanding people can be. I had almost forgot about this problem with our society until this happened: I was in Wal-Mart with a friend when several of their other friends showed up. These friends were not dressed in what you would call "street clothes." They were dressed in medieval garb for the SCA. SCA is a society that recreates and studies culture from medieval times.
While we were standing talking in the arts and crafts section of Wal-Mart, I noticed that the sales lady seemed a bit disturbed. She kept looking up and down at the two girls dressed in medieval garb with a most disgusted look on her face.
Luckily the two girls didn't notice the sales lady's disapproving glances. However, I did. Later when I went up to ask the same sales lady a question, she immediately recognized that I was talking to the two strangely dressed girls earlier, and then proceeded to be less than hospitable.
This reminded me of a problem we still have in our society today. People judge people by the way they are dressed. Now, these two girls were in a very noble historical society, but I can just imagine that the sales lady thought that they were some sort of evil witches or something.
It bothers me every time people assume that someone is one way just because they are dressed a certain way. Some of the nicest people I have ever talked to were clad in black leather, and had multiple piercings. However when people see them, they just assume that they are going to mug them or something.
My advice to the sales lady, and all of you out there who are missing out on meeting some really nice and fascinating people because of the way they are dressed-- Get over it! Start talking to these different people! It can change your whole outlook on life and people in general. If the clothing thing still bothers you after this, just imagine everyone naked.
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Name: aimeE Comments:
I agree with you Charlene, my woman! I have many a friend who worked at an Ad. agency in NYC. Every morning he rode the ferry to work, clad in cut-offs, combats and black T-shirts. Oh, and black curly hair down his back, and a septum ring. All the business people seemed scared of him. But hey, he was making the same amount of money they were and he was and is a really sincere, intelligent guy. Now he works at an ad agency here, he's allowed to wear his peircing but chooses not to out of respect.
Name:Francine Rapp Comments:
Hello, Charlene. I agree with you.
Comments:
Yea, and you look like a Q-tip...Butter head! :)~
Name:Adam Sos Major: who cares Comments:
i agree with mike
Name:Michael Sos Major: ArT Comments:
Prejudging is not right. Ofcourse from a artistic point of view, many people would argue basing one's opinion on another person's creative expression is okay. This is why many artist's get tattoos and eyebrow peircings. So they present a creative exterior which is alternative from mainstream society. I know I have been judged as a person lacking creativity because of my choice of clothing. I am a conservative dresser in a liberal art world. I choose this exterior because I see myself as a true nonconformist within a nonconformist community. ofcourse I conform to the community that the liberal artists are rebeling. What does this really mean? It means humans are herd animals either way you cut it. Sociology is a bitch.
Name: Charlene Comments:
Yes Brian, I agree with you. It is necessary to dress in appropriate ways sometimes to make a first good impression. However. Does it have to be this way? What I am trying to get people to see..is that you cannot judge someone by the way they are dressed. We as a people need to get over external impressions. Give people a chance.
Name:Brian :) Comments:
One thing I have learned from experience is that unfortunately, clothes do make the man (at least when it comes to first impressions). When meeting someone new, their only impression of you until you open your mouth, or extend that hand for them to shake, is your appearance. If you've got personality, integrity, and character behind those clothes, your second impression will take you further than your first. It doesn't hurt though to keep your options open to those who would otherwise judge you by appearance.
