When I was growing up, I heard many times, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’–in different circumstances but often about people. Sociological training at home. Skin color, clothes, part of town…
These days, I am the stranger, in a strange town. I live on a hillside, looking down on the town center. The largest, tallest building is the public school. And in this image you can see it bedecked with planter boxes overflowing with red and pink geraniums in flower.
It is obviously the most important building in town and most beautifully adorned and maintained. If I judge the people of this town by the care they have shown for the public school, have I made a mistake?
Public school as town center for the last century
We’re “programmed” to make split-second judgements, it’s probably recorded in our genotype and is a basis of our survival instinct. How we act upon those quick judgements, is another thing. Whatever we were taught as kids, was, mostly, aiming either at not discriminating others based on the negative first impression or at not being too trustful based on an unsupported positive first impression. But if without any harm to yourself you give somebody too much credit based on their “cover,” I think it’s totally fine: on many occasions, positive attitude towards others makes those others behave better than they would have otherwise.
Beautiful picture!
beautiful house and beautiful view
amazing