2008 Woodie Awards
A quick glance: Do you look or do you see?
Lois Jones
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Perspectives
Here it is, the first week of school. Excitement is in the air. Nerves are on edge.Incoming freshmen and transfer students don't really know what to expect. Students that have been gone all summer are reconnecting with friends they missed.
Which category do you belong in? All of us, new and returning, have something in common. We will be meeting new people. When I ask, "Do you look or do you see?" there is a difference.
Looking only requires a passing glance. When you look at someone, you see their outward appearance. Taller, shorter, thinner, fatter, older, younger, pierced, tattooed, different colored hair, clothes you wouldn't choose and possibly a difference in ability such as sight, hearing, speech or using a wheelchair.
You might notice an accent from another country, or lack of one. Then there is skin color, from glow-in-the-dark white to almost a blue-black and every shade in between.
At first glance, most of us will assess each other and decide if the person is someone we want to get to know. First impression is what we go on. We are always told we only get one chance to make a first impression, and this is true. We usually get evaluated based on the way we look.
What I am trying to do is heighten your awareness and suggest you see someone, instead of just looking at them.
This does require evaluating your ideas and perceptions of others' choices. Maybe you would never wear a Mohawk, but you see someone who does. It may not be your choice for a hairstyle, and it doesn't have to be. Do you "see" beyond what you are looking at - beyond the clothes or hair or ability?
The Mohawk may be a passing whim, a form of self-expression or even the result of a bet. You don't know until you talk to the person and find out. The person may be gifted in many ways you will never know unless you chose to see them, rather than look at them.
They may turn out to be the connection you need to succeed in your goals, but you won't know unless you take the time to talk to them.
Which category do you belong in? All of us, new and returning, have something in common. We will be meeting new people. When I ask, "Do you look or do you see?" there is a difference.
Looking only requires a passing glance. When you look at someone, you see their outward appearance. Taller, shorter, thinner, fatter, older, younger, pierced, tattooed, different colored hair, clothes you wouldn't choose and possibly a difference in ability such as sight, hearing, speech or using a wheelchair.
You might notice an accent from another country, or lack of one. Then there is skin color, from glow-in-the-dark white to almost a blue-black and every shade in between.
At first glance, most of us will assess each other and decide if the person is someone we want to get to know. First impression is what we go on. We are always told we only get one chance to make a first impression, and this is true. We usually get evaluated based on the way we look.
What I am trying to do is heighten your awareness and suggest you see someone, instead of just looking at them.
This does require evaluating your ideas and perceptions of others' choices. Maybe you would never wear a Mohawk, but you see someone who does. It may not be your choice for a hairstyle, and it doesn't have to be. Do you "see" beyond what you are looking at - beyond the clothes or hair or ability?
The Mohawk may be a passing whim, a form of self-expression or even the result of a bet. You don't know until you talk to the person and find out. The person may be gifted in many ways you will never know unless you chose to see them, rather than look at them.
They may turn out to be the connection you need to succeed in your goals, but you won't know unless you take the time to talk to them.
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