by Flemming Funch
It often baffles me how bad many people are at judging the character of others. To me it is usually quite apparent, if one watches somebody, and listens to them, whether they're lying or not, and whether they're basically well intentioned or not. Their body language, their manner of speech, their choice of words, their eyes, their whole aura is broadcasting quite loudly who they are. OK, some people hide better than others, and it might be harder to read them, but then that fact should be quite apparent. So, it usually shocks me when people I know judge people based on totally different factors, abstract ideas, preconceived notions, etc., and fail to see what I see.
What I'm claiming is that it isn't just a matter of opinion or preference. There are quite universal indicators of who a person is, which can be perceived directly. The trouble is that if somebody doesn't perceive it, it is next to impossible to convince them, and it often turns into a very heated argument.
It is also something that troubles me greatly about the court system. Whether somebody did or didn't do what they're accused of is not a matter of adding up a bunch of abstract facts and making the best guess one can. The person sitting right there is usually broadcasting it loudly. The same with punishment. Putting somebody in jail for many years is ridiculous if they're no longer the same person, and they now have different intentions. Their presence will readily tell you that, not the facts of what happened in the past. And not particularly what they say either. The way they say it might tell us something.
I guess I'm wondering what kind of training or education might assist more people in being able to perceive each other, and be better at recognizing character and truth. The world could be a very different place if enough people could make better choices about people.
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