Comments on: Sizing people up.

By: JJK

JJK — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:53:18 +0000

I feel like I have the exact opposite problem– I hardly judge people by appearances, which has actually turned out to be sort of a bad thing… I am constantly and utterly confused as what to expect from people, and how they see me. I think this has happened because I don't like honestly judging/sizing up myself, like you did in the last part of the article. I need to be more judgmental!

By: Rita

Rita — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:22:55 +0000

I, too, am 26, married, and very young-looking. I have definitely noticed that people treat children differently than adults. Because many people take one look and think I'm a teenager, they treat me with suspicion, as if I'm about to be unruly or something. It's no fun. True story: when people think I look too young to be doing a certain activity (like seeing a rated-R movie), they actually feel it's acceptable to physically hold me back by the chest so I can show them my ID. Really, if they thought I was an adult and needed to ask me something, would they EVER think of placing their hand on my chest to do so?

I think that every social animal has the behavioral adaptation of sizing each other up. When success in life can be greatly influenced by your interactions with others, those who can size someone up accurately will be better off than those who can't.

By: Punch Debt In The Face

Punch Debt In The Face — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:55:09 +0000

@ Frugal- It seems like everyone agrees we all do it, whether intentionally or not. I wonder how this got in to the human DNA? p.s. next time someone assumes you're an unwed mother, punch em in the face. p.p.s discounts rule!

@ Gwen- I hope when I get rich, I'm not sooo frugal that I can't afford to replace a bumper. Although, I do respect farmer dan's simple ways.

@ Josh - I have actually sat around a table with friends before and we have made guesses about what a certain person does for a living, then at the end of the night I'll ask that stranger what they do and see if anyone was right. It's pretty interesting.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:32:25 +0000

Juding people is just human nature. I think it goes back to the time when we lived in caves and we had to quickly size up unknown persons to recognize if they were a threat to our survival.

I don't think we could ever stop doing it, we just need to realize that we do it and alot of the time we'll be wrong.

Can be a bit of fun people watching though and guessing what their backstory is. There's been plenty of times when I've thought a dude looks scary, covered in tatts, shaved head, piercings, but you chat to them and it turns out they're a gentle soul.

By: gwenavyre

gwenavyre — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:20:27 +0000

It's true that you never really know about people. We used to live in upstate NY and my parent's had a friend that they always said was the richest man in the county and he wore the same overalls everyday. His church suit was a polyester one from the 70's and he had bought his truck used at an auction and then attached a 4×4 for a rear bumper as it was missing one. (He is a farmer, so the overalls aren't as crazy as they may seem.) If you saw him you wouldn't be impressed and think he was a millionaire.