Another Quiz!

Dude. Put down the gun. I was kidding.

But I may as well just find a few more of those survey things to do. It's not like I have an interesting life to write about or anything. Sure, sure, I could be all, "So theeeeen I went to English. We discussed what we read and then watched a movie. I very nearly fell asleep during the movie but I managed to fight to keep awake." Yeah. That's exciting.

On the other hand, I figure it's pointless to have this blog if I'm not going to ever put anything it it. (Not that it really matters, since nobody seems to be commenting recently. *cough*)

So anyway. I got to thinking this morning--and how I managed to actually remember it now has got to be devine intervention of some sort--about people who say that they're a good judge of character.

How do you really know? What you see of a person could be a complete opposite of their true character. It could be a mask. And it could also perfectly describe them.

Try this sometime. Anywhere you go, look at complete strangers, and try to determine what they're thinking. You'll never be able to tell. Picture this. You walk in to the gas station. As you enter, a woman is leaving. She holds the door open for you and flashes a smile as you walk by. Why did she smile? Is she in a good mood? Is she just being polite? Is she trying to hide something?
Now you're inside, scanning the wide variety of candy bars to pick the one you'll be snacking on for the drive home. The clerk's watching you. Is he suspicious of that coat that seems to have several easy-to-conceal pockets? Is it just that there's nobody else in the store, and he's bored? Does he know you from somewhere? Is he really staring at you, or has he been glancing around and you've only noticed when he looked at you?

You've ran into two people so far and there's already an endless possibility. You can't possibly know what's happened in their lives to make them who they are. You don't know if they're being themselves, or trying to be somebody else. Suppose now somebody else has entered the store. He's got a mohawk, piercings, he fits the typical "punk" stereotype. As you pass him on the way to the checkout, he gives a nod in your direction. You don't know anything about this kid yet, but there's probably already a part of your mind that's trying to fit him into a category.

All this considered, I have to wonder a few things. First off, I can't help but wonder what the other strangers think of me. If they think about what I just made you think about, or if they just dismiss me as another person without identity. Then I have to wonder how anybody can be a good judge of character when there's so much that's unknown.

I used to think that I was a good judge of character. In a way, I suppose I still think that to a certain degree. But I'm not so sure anymore, and I've been trying to put less and less faith in 'guesses' about what a person is like. The only way to really know is by knowing them--and even then--do you really know?