The Appearance Of Reality

Does the truth really matter anymore? Far too many of us rely only upon what we see. If this is not bad enough we then make our minds up based upon our initial impressions. If we see a disheveled person standing in line at McDonalds do we assume that they are poor and possibly homeless? It is certainly possible that they just left work; work that is physically demanding. Another possibility is that they just woke up and drove straight to the restaurant for their first meal of the day.

The reverse occurs just as often. You are approached by an attractive and well-dressed individual. They need your help. We tell ourselves that although this person is a complete stranger they must not be a threat to our safety. The reality is that good-looking people commit crimes every day. Did it ever occur to you that they dress so neatly for the sole purpose of being disarming?

I understand the issue of first impressions. I know how important they are when job seeking or when on a first date. We naturally tend to size people up the moment they cross our path. But by what right do we have to make such snap judgments? Our outward appearance is not always indicative of our true selves. Our particular styles of speaking or dressing might be indicative of our persona. Yet who we are as individuals can not be so easily determined by such superfluous trappings.

Appearances also come into play in the work place. Employees are often asked to act in ways that conflict with their stated intentions. I myself have worked in retail businesses where what the customer saw became more important than what the customer should know. Acting in a way that people expect is given greater emphasis than telling people the truth about a given situation. This is as true in the business world as it is in politics.

Our latest large-scale financial debacles aside we need only look at our elected representatives for another example of appearance versus reality. We expect our politicians to be tough on crime, drugs and other social ills. Do these people, well-intentioned though they may be, truly represent the will of the people? Of course not. The best they can do is tell us what we hope to hear. They work to pass new laws so they look like they are fighting the good fight. In reality the old laws, already on the books, are not being enforced. New laws can never do what old laws never could. As long as they look like they are doing what we expect they will probably be re-elected next term and continue receiving a hefty paycheck.

My whole point is that judging based upon surface reflections is pointless. The truth lies beneath. People or situations only appear to be good or bad, helpful or detrimental based upon what we wish the truth to be. We should be more discerning. We must be more willing to learn the truth no matter what it is. How can we make anything better if we would rather lie to ourselves or shoot from the hip when making decisions. So often what appears to be true to us only serves to reinforce our own misperceptions and stereotypes. I would rather deal with a harsh reality than an attractive illusion.