Do you think you can judge someones character by their look?

you have seen them, large and small, spiked hair and tattoos..

Do you know who they are?

 

Yes.

 

Stereotyping can be a useful tool in certain situations. What gets you in trouble is making concrete decisions based on such generalizations

 

You can draw you're own conclusions based on your assumptions and prejudices,but your judgement as to their actual character could end up being completely wrong,or at least somewhat wrong.

 

If it's based on superficial things, no.

If its based on their "look" you observe by watching them then yes.

 

are we only referring to the spiked hair and tattooed "them"?

 

Pre-judging a person is wrong. Many of the worst travesties of modern history were started because of pre-judgment

 

In some cases, but I can't tell you how many times I was wrong, nor can I tell you how many times I was right about the character but how my attitude toward the different characters I've encountered has changed upon getting to know an individual.

 

Not inherently. Depends on the circumstance.

What travesties are you talking about?

 

No, I really don't think you can.

 

I already know that you definitely cannot get an accurate picture of a person's personality, beliefs, character, by judging their looks.

I have always had friends of all different types of backgrounds, and I am certain that the way someone looks on the outside has nothing to do with who they are inside.

 

To an extent... I guess. But it's really not very accurate!

It can give you a rough idea of what they might be like.

 

I try not to judge based on looks but I think we all do it to some degree without even realizing it. I always get a chuckle out of meeting someone who is exactly like what you might expect based on various signals. Then I think...wow...that person IS the stereotype.

 

Body language combined with appearance can give a pretty good estimate.. but there are too many variables such as mood, peer pressures and obviously your own prejudices which leak, blend and ooze together and can really muddy your conclusion... so not really.
If you wanna judge em, go find out who they actually are first..

 

I'm not sure whether you mean a particular group with tattoos and spikey hair.

But anyway, judgements on appearance was an accepted science, then Hitler's eugenics meant scientists distanced themselves from it. Its now much more accepted again. (Physiognomy and stuff).

Ontop of that, there are issues like clothing, voice, body shape mannerisms, the way certain nerves/muscles react.

I think these indicators can be extremely accurate indicators. When I need to make a judgement, I try and use all these factors.

 

I think you can vaguely. It's probably not a good idea but I start to think that there's like 10 groups of people and everyone falls into one of the groups. I think it's hard to find one special individual. They all seem to stem from branches into groups or clusters of characteristics etc.

 

Spaniards judging Aztecs, Germans judging Jews, colonial settlers judging the natives. There are others also but each of these pre-judgements resulted in it's own display of violence. Also I am not saying that the judgements are the only reason any of these happened, simply that they contributed to them.

 

No, I do not think that it is possible. Character is so very multifaceted that a look can not define a persons character.

 

You can probably assume certain, basic things. But you would only be scratching the surface.

 

This more or less. There are certain things might be generally true about the guy with the mohawk versus the guy in the suit.

However, the guy with the mohawk might be pacifist vegan, and the guy in the suit might be a serial killer.