YOU AND ME

"People are pretty much alike. It's only that our differences are more susceptible to definition than our similarities."

Linda Ellerbee 20th/21st century American journalist

We downplay the latter while emphasizing the former.

We'd be better off were it the opposite.

UGLINESS TOO

"The beauty seen is partly in him who sees it."

Christian Nevell Bovee (1820-1904) American author/lawyer.

The next time you find yourself judging someone for what they are or are not, something you don't like, look to see how much of that is also you.

You may be a little surprised, disappointed in yourself, and hopefully more tolerant of the other person.

NOT WHO, WHAT

"Examine what is said, not him who speaks."

Arabian proverb

If only this were done in every single aspect of our lives.

BETTER TO BE COLOR BLIND

"Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance."

Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) French poet.

How many times must we be reminded of this, particularly when the outward appearance used to judge is not one of choice.

Such as skin color.

Black, white, brown, yellow, red and all in between; none of it tells you anything about the person who wears that skin.

Books and Covers

"Examine what is said, not he who speaks."

Arabian proverb

Unfortunately it is more often the latter rather than the former, usually for all the wrong reasons.

What people think and say should be the basis for deciding who they are.

How they look is only the cover of their book.

The Unseen Prejudice

"All the people like us are WE, and everyone else is THEY."

Rudyard Kipling

19th/20th century British writer

You may feel this way even though you profess otherwise, possibly without even knowing you do.

If so and your job is marketing or sales . . .

How Open A Mind?

"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief."

Gerry Spence

20th century American trial lawyer

It does not surprise me that a trial lawyer would say this, otherwise, how would one ever get a jury to reverse thinking on an accused, initially presumed by many to be guilty?

However, when it comes to business matters, which is preferable?

Those People

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

Voltaire

18th century French writer/philosopher

If you lead others, can you always tell when an argument is prejudicial versus factual?

Decision Making: Based On What We Think Or What We Know?

"Prejudice is opinion without judgment."

Voltaire

Maybe sometimes but there are many observable instances of business judgment based on little more than opinionated prejudice.

Make a decision based on what you think others think, because you think but don't know for certain you know who they are . . . what would you call that?

Appearance: Empty Suits? Empty Jeans

"Dressing up is inevitably a substitute for good ideas. It is no coincidence that technically inept business types are known as "suits."

Paul Graham
Programmer, Venture Capitalist

"Inevitable" correlation between the way people dress and the likelihood of good ideas coming from them?

Really?

Back in the day, everyone wore suits; both those with bad as well as good ideas, just as today good and bad ideas (as well as good/bad programming and investment decisions) come from people wearing jeans and sandals.

Weight, presence or absence of hair, clothes, gender, ethnicity, age, etc., etc.; how (do) you factor that in when considering the likely ability of one to do the job you hire them to do?