There’s an old saying: “clothes make the man”; dated perhaps, (could we maybe include women here in the modern age?) but it’s meant to illustrate how easy it is to draw a conclusion about an individual based on his/her wardrobe and appearance. Here’s what I mean.
Someone dressed in a “three-piece” suit, polished shoes, and well groomed traditionally makes us think: “Ah…. He must be successful in business; maybe he’s a doctor, broker or lawyer”. If we see someone in denim jeans, a long sleeve flannel shirt and work boots, we’re inclined to think: “He must work with his hands; maybe he’s a handyman, forester, or blue-collar worker”. The problem is that it tends to bias us before we really know anything about the individual; especially today, when dress codes are completely different, it’s dangerous to make assumptions based on how someone is dressed. How often do we judge a book by its cover and have a pre-conceived notion as to what that person’s point of view might be, or their attitude, or their intellect? We feel a need to “type” them so we can categorize them in our mind. Let’s take it a step further: based on their appearance, can we make assumptions about their preferences in the areas of food, movies, politics or taste in music? Recently, my wife and I attended an evening of Kristin Chenoweth in concert; we both admire her talent and personality. Having arrived at the theater a bit early, we passed the time watching the patrons entering the lobby. In short order, we realized there was a huge variety of people attending. Besides the wide range of ages, it also became apparent that there was a wide range of “types”. I found myself wondering: if I had run into these people on the street, based on their appearance and how they were dressed, would I have imagined them attending and appreciating a concert by Kristin Chenoweth? I would have to say only about 50%. At that point, I realized that I was categorizing; I had a pre-conceived notion of who would be walking in the door; these were my biased expectations of who would attend a night at the theater and how they would be dressed. The epiphany happened when a husband and wife strode in sporting their camouflage attire, as if they had just returned from a duck blind. It brought a smile to my face and reminded me that there are no defined parameters for a night at the theater. There is no dress code for music appreciation. And a great time was had by all…. equally. Regardless of how they were dressed. Lesson learned.
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