As much as many of us go around saying and even believing we don't judge people, we do. We have to. Just for basic safety's sake, we take note of people, assess the likely threat to ourselves, and act accordingly. On a less instinctual level, we notice if someone's good looking, and generally are more likely to be open to contact with them. We notice if someone is dirty and make assumptions about their living situation. Heck, we notice if someone has a ten-years-out-of-date haircut and jump to certain conclusions about that person. It's human nature. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It happens in an instant, subconciously, often without even making it up to the conscious level, often without any thought or action or even notice on our part. It has to. We need to remain sentient of our surroundings and those who share them with us, and we need to evaluate how they could possibly affect us.

If we are trying to live a good and reasonable life, we try -- usually by making a conscious effort -- to not let these judgements and vague assumptions color our conscious thoughts and actions. We don't "judge" others, or make assumptions about them based on stereotypes or generalizations. We try to remember that people have their own issues, their own problems, their own bases of experience, and we try to take that into consideration and deal with people as individuals, not as parts of the groups in which our subconscious presumptions place them.

But what if...

What if the important things to know about someone were "posted" on the exterior? What if just in glancing at someone, we were immediately able to accurately assess what motivates that person? What if just a glimpse of someone could show us that person's weaknesses and strengths, his insecurities and self-assurances, his fears and his mettle?

Would the world be a better place? Would we be kinder to one another? Would instant understanding provide a basis for reason and rationality and sense? Would we be more compassionate toward one another? More tolerant?

Mou"sometimes I think of stuff"sie