What can we tell about a person from their looks?

[Nihilego]

A thought I had earlier today. Basically, do a person's looks tell you anything at all about them? Before you say that we can't judge just on looks, there are a few things I'd like you to consider.

Look at stereotypes; the nerd, for example, is typically pretty skinny, has glasses, a weak social life with weak social skills, and whatever else you consider 'nerdy'. Does this often apply for you in real life? And take the sportsman, he's usually well-built, very social, surrounded by girls. Is this really true?

How about other types of people? Is it possible to tell how social they are, how artistic they are, how intelligent they are, just based on their outward appearance? Does their level of hygiene, their stance, their dress sense, speak for anything?

And on the note of dress sense, do you think we make assumptions there? If someone dresses well, does that imply money, and if so, what conclusions do we draw from that?

One thing which I'd really like seen discussed is the matter of popularity. Does someone with good looks become more popular? What about how they dress, their hair style, their skin? Are they contributing factors at all?

A lot of questions there, which I don't really want answered in bullet points. From your experiences and reasoning, just discuss these sort of things. First impressions and all that. I think you get the general idea!

 

[lacella]

i'm pretty much against being judged for outward appearance. sure, it can give a slight indicator, but can also be the cause for so many misjudgements. some of the most beautiful people suffer from anxiety/depression, some people that are labelled 'unattractive' are the most inwardly confident and peaceful. stereotypes are also many times inaccurate. i've seen a lot of nerds with amazing social lives.

although, i personally think that the popularity/good looks thing does come true a lot of the time - not only in highschool type popularity, but in the job market even. but i don't think this happens solely because of looks - i think it's more of a confidence thing. if you have that confidence to believe that you're attractive, you usually do come off as more attractive to others.

so... yeah. i'd say that you could judge smaller things by looks (ethnicity, whether they had a shower that day, haha). but in things like personality, personal history, future goals, intelligence - judging only by looks is pretty ignorant in my opinion.

 

[Overlord Drakow]

Spoiler:

Just try and stereotype me, I dare you! inb4 loser V_V

I stereotype people all the time in my mind when I'm walking on the street or whatever and people pass me by and stuff. I think the outward physical appearance vastly influences the first impression other people will have. I suppose people try to fit in with certain trends that their friends have and stuff like that, so if you hang out with nerds or whatever, perhaps you'll be more inclined to wear gaming shirts and stuff for example. I dunno, I have my own style so I don't really think about these things too much.

Dressing well boosts your own self confidence which naturally enhances your appeal to other people.

I think the way one dresses can provide a good indication to personal hygiene but it's a bit more obscure to use it to judge their general abilities and skills.

Yes, I think the way people dress can be a good indication as to how wealthy they are in general.

I apologize if this post is incoherent and all over the place and I did go into bullet points at the end, but I'm too lazy to tidy it up. You ever had that happen to you - dive into a thread wanting to post and then half way through you just lose motivation and you're tempted to screw this crap and not bother finishing the post off but then you don't want to waste what you've already written so you decide to finish the post off as haphazardly as possible. It's like the Gates of the Six Samurai have opened and a flood of samurai are charging in but then they get met with a Mirror Force and they all die and the momentum is just crushed. It's that sort off thing. Sue my ass if you have to.

 

[-Jared-]

I try not to judge people based on how they look, but honestly, it does depend on the situation.

Take for instance, if I see someone who looks really filthy. I could assume that that person has no personal hygiene habits based upon that. But there is also the chance that, hey, he just got done helping his friends pull their truck out of the mud, which is why he is dirty. He just didn't have time to go clean up. BUT If I see this person REPEATEDLY looking filthy, I might make the mental note that this guy doesn't clean up before going out. Now, all of this is based purely upon how he looks. i have not talked to him, nor do I know him. SO yes, I have judged this person by his appearance. But I don't think this kinda example is all that bad; being dirty at say, the grocery store is most likely a choice he made. He could have like, taken his shirt and wiped his face down, but he didn't.

But for situations beyond one's control I tend to me a lot more lenient. Someone with acne? Could be they just were born with oily skin that produces acne that defies treatment. :\ Same with, say, how ones hair looks, or something. I can tell you from experience, lol, that some people are just born with disobedient hair. xD So, for things like that, I tend not to judge.

So basically, it depends on WHAT you are judging. And even then, there is a chance that there is a rational explanation for it. So I usually would give several chances before like, passing final judgment. Hope that makes sense, lol.

 

[Esper]

You ever had that happen to you - dive into a thread wanting to post and then half way through you just lose motivation and you're tempted to screw this crap and not bother finishing the post off but then you don't want to waste what you've already written so you decide to finish the post off as haphazardly as possible. It's like the Gates of the Six Samurai have opened and a flood of samurai are charging in but then they get met with a Mirror Force and they all die and the momentum is just crushed. It's that sort off thing. Sue my ass if you have to.

Yes, I have that happen quite often. Except without samurai.

Anyway, if I bother to think about a person who is a stranger to me I rely on what I can observe and I do make judgments based on those observations. I don't necessary keep them - either I never see them again and forget or I learn something more from them and use that to make a better picture of them in my mind.

I don't think I let someone's looks convince me personally that they are skilled/intelligent/etc. I mean, if I can tell that someone has on nice clothes that'll make me think a couple of different things and I might be tempted to assume that one is correct (like maybe I get a vibe that tells me they aren't really wealthy but are trying to look like they are) but if/when I actually talk with this person I'll get a much better sense of them from how they communicate, their body language, what they talk about, what they tell me about themselves, and so on.

I make a conscious effort not to judge someone on their appearance. I probably fail at that more than I realize, but I do try not to assume things.

 

[Yoshikko]

In general I don't really believe in judging people based on their appearance, however in reality I think that we can't help it. It's the first thing we see, and it's the first thing on which we are even able to base something. I try my best not to though, because even though I think someone's appearance might say a little about that person, and how it can be a reflection of how they are, it might also not be and it will lead to misjudgement. But I do think that it depends on what you judge here. Judging someone based on their hair (colour), their posture, or anything genetic is different than judging someone based on what they are wearing, people use their clothes to express themselves or to identify themselves, in general, and it tells you more about a person than their skincolour does.

As much as I think that we all try not to judge people on their appearance, you can't deny that appearance plays a huge role in society - in work, at school, in virtually every social circle. While it depends on the people around you, most of the time people who look good or dress well are offered more chances, are accepted into social groups more easily and gain more popularity (statistically), it's just the way things work, and I think that wealth also plays a big role in this. I think it is a common misconception that people with a lot of money supposedly have more to offer, in whatever way (work, socially, etc). It's just easy and quick to judge someone based on how they look. People don't want to (or can't) take the time to get to know someone so they just go by what they look like, as ridiculous as that even may be I guess.

 

[Dakotah]

These days you can't even be sure if the person you are looking at is male or female. So how can we trust anything we see in another person?

 

[Trance and Moss]

I think that when you look at someone you can usually tell what they look like.
That's about it though.

 

[Mr. X]

These days you can't even be sure if the person you are looking at is male or female. So how can we trust anything we see in another person?

Just ask Admiral Ackbar. He knows when its a trap.

And Drakow, I want that coat.

Anyway, I don't judge much. The only time I really judge someone is if they smell like **** or urine. Other then that, I don't care much.

 

[Rogue planet]

Judging someone based on their natural features I think is what people mean when they say they don't judge a book by it's cover.

But if you haven't showered in a week and dress like crap then yeah I'm going to judge you. I'll judge you if you look like an obvs chav as well. It's unfair to judge on minor things, but if it's something clear and obvious then it's usually accurate to make a judgement. Think it only works negatively though; if I see someone that looks good/dresses well I won't assume they're awesome, because they more than likely aren't.

 

[Dawn]

When deducing things about a person you generally want more than one piece of evidence to come to a conclusion. You notice things and suspect them, but you don't jump to conclusions. Visual evidence is valuable evidence to more reliably coming to conclusions. It's some of the only evidence that lets you find something out about others without even meeting them.

 

[Nahemah]

I hate it when people feel the need to judge one on how the dress. I didn't know my wearing black and dark makeup automatically led me to being a Satanist and being depressed and angry. This hasn't happened to me(or at least in a while)but all because somebody is more conservative and straight laced than me I won't judge you. I'm(most of the time)a happy person, my arms are cut free, and I don't care for religion of any kind. I'm a nice girl. And trust me, you'd know if I was angry or depressed LOL!

 

[champagnepapi]

There's a lot of things that you can tell by a person's looks, and I think that everyone has forms an assumption when they see someone. The principal difference between people in this situation, is that there are those who keep the assumption and their mind and only confirm it when they meet the person, and those who act on it immediately. Some people may figure a kid's a nerd, but not say anything about it and then realize he's actually a p cool kid when they meet him, but those with less character will tease the kid outright, based on what the kid's appearance tells them. I've been in both situations, and while I've never teased anyone for their appearance, I've talked to a 'nerdy-looking' kid as if he were a genius, when he was only really average in intelligence. This isn't only true with the 'nerd' stereotype, I've met kids that look like jocks, who are actually disliked by most of the school, as well as short, nonathletic kids who are pretty popular. Obviously, I'm against this kind of judgement, although I understand people can't help making the initial assumption, it really is somewhat demeaning when someone will act on immediately before forming a better assumption of somebody by meeting them. As lacella said, people with good looks are often immediately respected by their peers in both school and at work, while those who aren't as good-looking have to rely on other things to win over their peers, such as personality and intelligence.

 

[Trance and Moss]

Judging someone based on their natural features I think is what people mean when they say they don't judge a book by it's cover.

But if you haven't showered in a week and dress like crap then yeah I'm going to judge you. I'll judge you if you look like an obvs chav as well. It's unfair to judge on minor things, but if it's something clear and obvious then it's usually accurate to make a judgement. Think it only works negatively though; if I see someone that looks good/dresses well I won't assume they're awesome, because they more than likely aren't.

What judgement can you make by seeing someone who has not showered in a week and dresses like crap though? Probably that they are poor. But being poor is not a crime, and they probably have a lot to deal with, without people judging them.

 

[Nihilego]

I forgot to give my thoughts here earlier. Call me judgemental, rude, whatever you want to, but I put quite a lot of weight on appearance. I usually talk to people before people talk to me, but I have to use something to decide who I talk to first since talking to everyone would take forever, so I go for the people who present themselves in a way which I quite like. And by that, I just mean someone who puts effort in, really. You don't have to wear expensive clothing to look good and I really like it when people who don't have the money for all the high-end stuff are able to outdress them. Effort put into appearance shows self-respect, something which I really like seeing in people.

As for determining what people are like outside of that, eh. In general I think it's possible to determine a little about the person and their interests from their appearance, for example the "nerdy" and "sporty" signs which I mentioned earlier (although I hate the term "nerdy") but I don't put a lot of weight on them. Someone who is quite clearly "nerdy" and suits it well is always more interesting to me that someone who is "sporty" and looks sloppy and careless.

And the stuff about dressing well = having money? Depends on which labels they're wearing. If they wear the expensive stuff, there's a higher chance of them being wealthy (although they could just have a pricy taste in clothing). And if they come off as very wealthy, I'll probably take a while to observe their personality before I try to get talking to them or anything, since (and I know that this is a horrible generalisation) in my experience, a lot of money can often breed arrogance, which I reallllly can't stand in a person.

...lol i judge so much on looks.

What judgement can you make by seeing someone who has not showered in a week and dresses like crap though? Probably that they are poor. But being poor is not a crime, and they probably have a lot to deal with, without people judging them.

The only people so poor that they can only shower once a week are probably hobos tbqh. Besides, Vendak was probably posting under the assumption that they can wash, but aren't willing to. Which shows a sheer lack of self-respect, and isn't something I'd really be all that interested in associating with.

 

[Oryx]

What judgement can you make by seeing someone who has not showered in a week and dresses like crap though? Probably that they are poor. But being poor is not a crime, and they probably have a lot to deal with, without people judging them.

You can easily look reasonable when dressing without spending hundreds of dollars on clothing. I've found brand name clothing plenty of times even in Goodwill, brand new. And I've found a lot of other clothing that isn't brand new or brand name but still looks nice.

And as far as showering? I have never met a single person who has been poor enough (and not homeless) that they couldn't afford to shower. I've seen people that choose not to shower, but no one that couldn't afford a shower. And I've been to some pretty run-down places, trust me. Considering my experience, I would say it's completely reasonable to assume that someone who looks like they haven't showered in weeks is choosing to not shower, not that they're too poor to afford a water bill.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

What judgement can you make by seeing someone who has not showered in a week and dresses like crap though? Probably that they are poor. But being poor is not a crime, and they probably have a lot to deal with, without people judging them.

I wouldn't they're poor. I'd think they were a slob. Homeless have a different look (and smell).

 

[Ayselipera]

I think the act of judging when you first see someone is okay and a bit out of your control to begin with. When you first encounter someone you're going to make an assumption off of something about them and I think that's natural for the most part. This is especially going to happen if you know you have to approach that person because you're going to want to approach them in the best way according to what you just assumed. Which can be useful if you're trying to make a good impression or whatnot. Overall I think it's what you do with what you just assumed or judged them for that matters. I could look at someone and think something horrible of them, but I would never actually do anything bad towards them or act rudely towards them because of that. Unless you annoy the crap out of me or are an ass to me I'm going to be as pleasant with you as I am with everyone else.

 

[Black Ice]

Effort put into appearance shows self-respect, something which I really like seeing in people.

Pretty much this. I wouldn't judge too much outside of that though. I'm a "sporty" person but I dress like a preppy nerd when I go out. Especially during winter.

And the quality/price of clothes is really more for the wearer, not the "audience". An $80 pea coat can look just as good as a $300 one on the outside, but it just won't last anywhere near as long. You can look good for cheap, but you usually get what you pay for in terms of quality.

Then again, there are always those brands that are expensive just because. In which case, I'd take the cheap stuff any day.

 

[groteske]

An interesting thing I've noticed is that one's strength of facial features is usually a pretty solid indicator of their strength of personality; i.e. someone with soft or subdued features is typically more reserved and nonconfrontational, while someone with a stronger face will be more outspoken and confident.

As far as surface stuff like clothes/etc, DGAF. The face, words, and actions are sufficient enough.