Yawns. So now you think I'm going to talk about something boring, something that has been said over and over again, something cliché. But have you considered? It's a cliché only because this saying has been tested and proven to be true, that's why it has been repeated and repeated again!

So yes, I am here to talk about not judging a book by its cover.

Have you noticed that we tend to ascribe certain qualities to a person before we even know the person well? For instance, when we see a stranger who always talks loudly and attracts attention, wouldn't we immediately label him/her a bimbo/loudmouth/showoff?

Or how about you hear something negative about someone, you would assume that person is like that - engaging in what we would say, static evaluation, presuming that the person will FOREVER be like that. What's the worst thing is that you don't know this person personally, you haven't heard the person's side of the story and then you evaluate the person negatively.

That's why I hate gossip (ie. talking bad about someone behind one's back). You can justify that it is just a casual talk, but unwittingly, the person whom you are gossiping with will begin to put inaccurate labels on that someone you are talking about.

So, what I've learned is, if I do not know the person well, I should suspend my judgment. So yep, don't come with gossips for me because I will hate to listen to them. I will not fully believe you unless I've seen it happening before my own eyes. I have also learned not to judge a person by his/her appearance. A person who dresses very elaborately doesn't mean he/she is snobbish, neither is a person who dresses very shabbily, lazy and stupid.

I guess it's a hard lesson but I'm trying to suspend my own judgments nowadays, because I've seen how premature judgments affect communication processes, obstructing us from fully understanding and enjoying the other party. It is a pity.