You’ve heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but isn’t it human nature to have an opinion based on first impressions? Don’t you pick up a book with a cover that catches your attention before you pick up the one with a boring front? I think what the phrase is asking people to do is realize that it is possible things aren’t what they seem to be on the outside. I found the truth in this statement when I got off a train in Germany, in a town called Rothenburg ob der Tauber. At the station, this place seemed somewhat modern with nothing too extraordinary. My husband and I went there because the Rick Steves’ guide book talked about a Christmas store there. Since it is one of my favorite holidays, I wanted a Christmas ornament keepsake. We didn’t realize when we walked toward our destination that we would be traveling back in time. Looming ahead of us was a medieval fortress. Once we walked through the archway of the walled-in portion of Rothenburg, we were enchanted by its likeness to a fairytale town from long ago. Again, I was surprised when we found the shop. The façade was similar to all the quaint buildings in Rothenburg, but as I walked inside, it felt like I was entering a small village on Christmas Eve. Were all the children getting snug in their beds with visions of sugar plums in their heads? Even after experiencing, this first-hand, it’s still easy to revert back to judging something or someone by their cover. No matter how similar your experience is to a situation someone else is going through, it can’t be judged by what it looks like on the outside. You can walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, and still have no clue what they are going through.
We all have our own journey. We all deal with identical traumas and joys differently. You can’t judge what a person is going through just because it appears one way to you. This is the time of year when people seek out love, forgiveness, peace, and hope. Try to find a way to get past biases. Look on the inside of the “book” and not just the outside. Don’t go with your first impression to form an opinion. You might be surprised what you will find. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
1 Comment
Dawn
12/20/2015 05:14:45 pm
Such true words! I can think of many times when my initial impression was incorrect and had I clung to it, I would have missed out on a neat friendship or experience. As you say, however, even knowing that, it is easy to slip back into pre-judging mode. Thank you for the reminder!
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