Think fast, is there anyone you think you have mistreated recently?

Question

Now tell me why. Why the f*ck don't we cut each other some slack? I mean we know that people act messed up because they don't come from stable homes and/or they haven't found what they're looking for; but knowing this, why do we mistreat other people; judging their exteriors and first impressions?

(NOT A RANT, I'VE DONE IT RECENTLY AND I NEED TO KNOW WHY WE DO THESE THINGS)

Answer 1

We judge people by the first impression because it's the easiest way to get around in life. It's a sorting mechanism that he have in us that prevents us from wasting time on things that doesn't matter. We quickly label and sort things and people so that we can pick the parts that's relevant to us and focus on them. If we all evaluated every thing and person fully all the time then we wouldn't be able to take many steps per hour.

On the other hand, the first impressions is not meant to be the full impressions and we are supposed to reevaluate them and update them as we get more information. That's where many of us fail. We also fail at updating the ways that we sort things, sometimes we do sort things the same old way even though we know better and shouldn't do it. In other words, some keep the label "worthless trash" and put people there when they know that the real label should be "less fortunate than me". And then some chose to not update the information about the other person and keep thinking that they have nothing in common because of that first label even though they should know better.

I can't remember anyone that I've mistreated recently, maybe I did without knowing it, but I do remember an occasion years ago. I saw an old friend, saw his dirty clothes, his shabby appearance, he was clearly high on drugs and I walked to the other side of the store so that he wouldn't see me. I had labeled him as dangerous and I put myself in a safe place. The stupid thing is that he's a really kind and gentle guy that has never been violent that I know of, I'm sure that he wasn't dangerous to me. It has bothered me since then.