I took a cab back today because I didn't feel like walking and taking public transport. Then when the cab stopped at a traffic light, I saw a guy crossing the road with a lady. This guy was quite tall, rather good looking, dressed in smart office attire and looked quite young (maybe late 20s). The lady was short and plump, very plain looking, did not dress up or wear any makeup, and looked older (perhaps at her mid 30s). She held his arm while they crossed the road and they guy was listening attentively to her.
Now, what would cross your mind when you see this?
My first thought was - why such good looking guy would be with such plain looking lady?
Then my next though was - why not?
But then, I didn't even know if they were couple and I was already forming a perception about them. Isn't it strange how our perception works?
If a lady has her hand around a guy's arm, our perception tells us that they must be lovers.
If a guy looks good, our perception tells us that the other half should not be too bad looking too.
If there is mismatch in looks between the guy and girl, our perception tells us that there must be a strong reason to it, as if this should not have happened.
I can't help but wonder what kind of perception people form about me when they see me on the street. Hmm, intriguing.
Labels: introspection
