Judging by appearance

People say I don’t look like someone who sells shipping containers. Well, do they expect me to look like I can lift a 2-ton container?

We are often quick to judge…we expect a builder to look tanned and rugged while a programmer should look somewhat geeky. A doctor who dresses like a fashionista may be criticised while a hairstylist with a bad fashion sense will be frowned upon.

I have friends from all walks of life… writers, photographers, bankers and engineers, even Buddhist monks. You probably can’t tell from their appearance. Really, a person's worth cannot be measured from what clothes they wear or how they present themselves.

Unfortunately we can't stop people from judging. In fact, psychologists have persuasively demonstrated that attractive defendants (in court) are perceived as more credible, are acquitted more often, and receive lighter sentences than their less appealing counterparts. But judges and juries can be swayed by more than just a pretty face: the clothing defendants wear, the jewelry they display, the way they style their hair, can sometimes mean the difference between doing time and dodging jail. The influence of appearance in the courtroom is so great, in fact, that an entire industry has emerged to advise lawyers, plaintiffs, and defendants on their aesthetic choices.

Wow, I don’t get it…. Maybe I really should start building muscles to look the part.