Most people, including myself, judge humans or things either wrongly or rightly. Looks can be deceiving indeed, times we are quick to conclude by what we merely see outside without knowing the content. We label people or things either good or bad, poor or rich. Some people have missed an opportunity due to the way we judge and overlook our fellow humans, maybe because of the way they dress. I have been a victim of this, and I will share my experience with you right away.
I judged wrongly.
My friends and I were on a job hunt a few years ago. We searched online and applied to some vacant positions. We waited for a long time without hearing from those companies. We searched physically at some firms without success. Either the pay is too low or the condition of the job is nothing to write home about. So one day, we were privileged to be in a program conducted by one of the leading firms in our country. My friend told me that we had to look for a good contact during the program; perhaps they could fix us up with a job in their company. It was a nice idea, and when the opportunity came for us to interact with people, I was searching for those in suits, those with the latest cars, and those who I felt had all it takes to fix me somewhere. My friend and I saw a man dressed so casually, you wouldn't know he was part of the people who hosted the program. You would think he was an invited guest like us. My friend suggested we meet him and ask him to assist us in securing a job, but I declined. I told her that nothing good could come out of this casual-looking young lad. She insisted on meeting him, and I allowed her to go alone while I searched deeper for a classy-looking person. To cut the story short, all I received from the high-class people I approached to help me was empty promises. Most times, my messages and mail returned to me without a response. But guess what? That casually dressed young lad was kind. He didn't have the power to give her job directly, but he had strong connections who helped my friend secure an office job at that company. I pushed to be taken after hearing the good news from my friend, but the man said that there was only one slot available. I judged the book by its cover without knowing that the content had the capacity to change my life—a hard lesson I learned.
One time I judged right
If you live in my part of Lagos State, you will notice that there are big schools everywhere that are well furnished and catchy. Most times, parents are captivated by the shiny buildings and enrol their children immediately without finding much detail about the content of the school. Some big schools as such are actually good even inside, while in others, only the buildings make sense and most of the teachers are incompetent. I was opportune to witness this practically when I was a classroom teacher in some of the big schools. My son was once in a big school without anything to show for it. Then one day, I decided to create time and hunt for another school. I saw many, and at one of the schools I visited, I was interested in the kind of staff they have. Even though it wasn't a big building like others, judging from the experienced teachers I saw there and the school administration, I concluded that this might seem cool for raising a child academically. So I enrolled my son over there, and within two terms in the school, I saw mega-positive changes. This time around, I wasn't moved by how flashy the school building might look; instead, I judged the qualifications of teachers inside the school. I was right this time.
Lesson learned
Both experiences taught me not to be too quick to judge by what I see outside and not to look down on anyone or a thing because what I might be searching for up there might just be right beside me. Looking down on people might be a missed opportunity, because we never know who the Messiah we are looking up to is.
I do hope you got value.
This post is in response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic "looks can be deceiving"