that's kinda vague, isn't it?
appearances, sadly, do matter in some measure, and the more superficial the viewer, the more it matters.
appearance [i]can[/i] provide useful information. if someone's skin is very pale, we know that he or she spends a lot of time indoors. good hygiene is usually evident by appearance alone. temperament and mood are usually indicated by the expression on a person's face.
obviously however, what's inside matters considerably more, b/c at least in some measure, what's inside shapes what's outside.
ed
appearance does affect people, but the thing is that appearance is objective and as eating disorders illustrate all too well, it's about a person's perception of their appearance that can be more important.
ed
I guess, we all know the answer. And that is why you raise the question. It shouldn't matter, and yet every day it matters, because the outside is all we see, and it may take a long, long time to undo impressions, that have been created in the first few minutes of meeting a new acquaintance.
And then: An old proverb says: As he thinketh in his heart so is he. That could mean, that whatever is on the inside, will reflect on the outside. Therefore, fix the inside and the outside will take care of itself. (I didn't mean to philosophize when I started this comment, it just came out that way.)
No, I don't judge people based on their appearance--or I try not to do so. But I think people subconsciously do so everyday--based on experience.
Stereotypes are alive and well. It is a sad, but unfortunate fact of life.
Yes. Looks matter. Anyone who has a preferred body type for romance can back this up.
I have a specific physical appearance which makes my knees weak and my mind fracture. We all do. Doesn't make us less, just choosy.
Basing everything on physical appearance is wrong....but ignoring what your own self likes....not good either.
Sure. But I hope I don't judge purely on looks. I hope I am not really all that shallow, that I focus on the looks, but then, I guess if you see someone dirty and unkempt I'd probably not put him/her on the top of my "got to know you" list.
If we are talking about "looks" as in handsome or beautiful - we can't help but noticing, and in some small way making a udgement but it is just one of the things I consider.
I think we all have a physical type that we are specifically attracted to. And let's face it, I find certain features incredibly sexy/appealing in both men and women. The human body is beautiful in many ways. So, does that make me superficial?
LG: "delicious" wasn't the word that sprang to mind half so much as, say, "grievous", or perhaps "side-splitting".
z: it makes you superficial if that becomes dominant, i think.
ed
I think to judge someone on their external appearance is very base, shallow and pathetic.
How the hell do you know a person's worth on the inside by judging their external appearance?
Don't even go there!!! God some people on here suck with their 'know it all' attitude.
So there are some pretty smooth talkers in this thread, however you forget one thing...
Are you going to judge a person who has been involved in an accident where it has disfigured their face and they have had to endure 6 months in hospital with all kinds of surgery done to them? Does this mean, "God must have needed to teach them a lesson"? I think not for the God I know is not a vengeful one. This happened to a very nice person I encountered.
The reason this world is in such a foul pickle is because of dumb-ass shallow thinkers who follow and not lead. They follow talentless celebrities based on looks.
Remember Hitler and his intention to create a master race based on appearance.
HOW QUICKLY US HUMANS FORGET THE LESSONS OF HISTORY.
Silver: You should know me well enough, I think, from our conversations, to know that that would never become dominate. I don't care how stunningly attractive anyone is, if they can't hold an intelligent conversation, then that initial attraction goes away for me. For me, there has to be more depth to the person than just attractive features.
I am a pretty scary person.
I really have blond hair that flows past my shoulders and is usually parted in the middle. I have a full goatee that I try to keep trim. My tattoo of a sunburst is always visible on my right arm and I have a faint outline of a tribal dragon that begins at my left elbow and the tail ends on my adams apple.
People avoid me.
I have a spiders web on my right elbow.
I am 5' 11" and weight 230 lbs. I am built like a Hummer with no neck to speak of.
When I get off my bike and go into a store people move backwards to get out of my way.
I make grown people cry.
Yet,
Inside I am a great big pussy.
But those of us that have come to know you from your posts here, love you, HBC. And Your tattoos wouldn't scare me away or make me cry. I'd probably want to inspect the linework on the dragon. :P
Hunter: I would never avoid you. I have many biker friends.
Hey, can I come to your place for some fresh baked bread? I am a little under the weather & need some comfort food.
As well as some damn good conversation!
You like country food? I make a mean breakfast!
i don't...i truly believe in "Do unto others, as you would want them to do unto you" Besides, you can't really tell what kind of person they are just by your first impression
This is a very tricky question...here are my views on this...
1.It depends... on circumstances, usually I form a general opinion on any 1 whom I cross paths with, in my life.
2.I have learnt in Life..that everything can change in any given moment...sO I adopt an open heart, and open mind philosophy,... I accept ppl as they are, and try to balance between sensitivity and sensibility.
3.So I don't "judge" as such, and form an opinion of what makes ppl tick, and what drives them... so that I can know how to interact with them, after all, Like Like Like, right ? so, I try to find out their interests and dislikes, so that I can form an idea s to what value we can provide to each other...
4. If u ask me, s to whether i go for mere form and substance, I have to say that Jade, Elly and Eco have made the points that echo in my heart..... And Balance between the 2 extremes is what I aspire and work towards... in the present.
HBC~
Well hun, considering the Inkslinger is bald by choice with half his scalp covered in a tat of a tattoo machine, has the bridge of his nose and septum pierced as well as four upper lip piercings and that is just what you can see from the chin up...I would say I am not the least bothered by the "scary" look.
I find it SEXAY! myself.
BUT. Many people DO let his appearance deprive them of his incredible personality.
[color=#0066cc][quote]...Many people DO let his appearance deprive them of his incredible personality[/quote]
Oooh, I like that LG. Very nice. Might make a good cynical tee.[/color]
As you think, you are. To some extent a person's appearance reflect their inner thoughts. But one has to go beyond the surface, a good book can't be judged by an attractive cover. You have to read it thoroughly to fully understand and so with people. You have to get to know them, probing their inner thoughts to really appreciate why they think the way they are.
"After a certain age every human is responsible for his/her face", Albert Camus.
Whether superficial or not, one's appearance is the first clue we have about that person.
Hey you can't take your looks to the grave with you. In fact, nothing much fits in a coffin. My brother is going to have a really tough time with his entire record collection.
your first look at some one will be your first impression.
They may scare you to death at first glance, then you
may find that they are the nice people of the earth. I try
not to judge, but I do--thank god I can change my mind.
For me its a very simple question to answer.LOOKS - At first i am a human animal after all.Its a genetic thing i quess.But looks are just the hook.If my potential partner can not hold an interesting conversation or was defficiant in empathy then the looks would wear off as an attractive quality and i am afraid that i would not stick around.PEACE.