people should look beyond superficial appearances. All too often we judge people quickly, and we do not take the time to gel to know them. We draw conclusions based on prior experiences and stereotypes. Of course, there are situations in which judging a person based on appearance is necessary, but such quick conclusions can lead to serious misjudgments, and they often prevent progressive change within society. As time is limited, we often dont have enough of it to get to know a person well, and thus we are forced to form an opinion hastily. During a job interview, for example, decisions have to be made very quickly. If the applicant for an office job does not dress in accordance with the standards of the employer, he will probably not get hired for the position, although he might be the best qualified candidate overall. Another applicant will take his place, because his qualifications, including his ability to dress and present himself professionally, appear to address the needs of the company better. In most other cases, however, judging based on external appearance can lead to many misjudgments. An old person is not necessarily wiser than a young person, because wisdom is the result of experience and not age. A person dressed in old jeans and tennis shoes does not have to be poor or without means, she might merely prefer the comfort of her old clothes to the discomfort of high heels and business suits. Judgments based on appearance will also prevent progressive change within society, because people will come to conclusions based on stereotypes. For example, a person with very dark skin might be from an African country, but he/she might also be from another continent altogether. Likewise, his/her skin color does not reveal anything about his/her likes or dislikes, his/her character traits or personality. Nevertheless, almost every person will invariably jump to conclusions on all of these, thereby precluding any contact or true understanding of the person and his/her background. As a result, common perceptions will persist and no progressive change will take place.
人们应该超越表面的外表。我们经常很快地判断人，我们也不需要时间去了解他们。我们得出结论，根据以前的经验和刻板印象。当然，在有些情况下，依靠外表判断人是必要的，但这种快速的结论会导致严重的判断错误，他们经常阻止社会前进的步伐。由于时间是有限的，我们往往没有足够的时间去了解一个人，因此我们不得不匆忙的形成一个意见。例如，在面试过程中，决策必须非常快速地进行。如果应聘办公室的工作不符合雇主的标准，他很可能不会被录用，虽然他可能是最好的合格候选人。另外一个应聘者将接替他的位置，因为他的能力，包括他的着装能力和专业能力，以更好地解决公司的需求。但是在大多数情况下，判断，基于外观可以导致许多误判。老年人并不一定比年轻人聪明，因为智慧是经验而不是年龄的结果。穿着旧牛仔裤和网球鞋的人不必是穷也不意味着，她可能只是更喜欢她的旧衣服舒适的高跟鞋和商务服的不适。基于外表的判断也会阻止社会的进步，因为人们会根据刻板印象得出结论。例如，一个非常黑皮肤的人可能来自非洲国家，但他/她可能来自另一个大陆。同样，他/她的肤色也没有透露任何关于他/她喜欢或不喜欢的东西，他/她的性格特点或个性。然而，几乎每个人都会跳到结论上，从而排除了任何接触或人与他/她的背景真实的理解。结果，共同的看法将持续，没有进步的变化将发生。