I want to play a little game with you today, to test your powers of perception.
It’s very simple: just read the descriptions of the four women below, and see if you get a mental picture for each of them.
Woman Number 1
- Lives right on the waterfront in a posh area
- Has a number of designer labels hanging in her wardrobe
- Went to Uni
- Suffers from depression
Woman Number 2
- Is married
- Her children went to a private school
- Heads up a national women’s ministry
- Has travelled overseas
Woman Number 3
- Lives in a dumpy old house
- Has changed job so many times, she’s almost lost count
- Was abused as a child
- Spent some time in a Children’s Home
Woman Number 4
- Started modelling at the age of 12
- Got kicked out of home as a teenager
- Has been to Court numerous times
- Her best friend suicided
Did Number 1 and Number 2 sound a bit snobby? Posh house, private school, travel …
Did you think maybe Number 3 was a bit of a battler?
And how about Number 4? What’s the bet she had problems with drugs and alcohol?
What if I then told you …
That these four descriptions are all about the same person?
Not only that, but that they all described ME (a few years ago now)!
Did you have very different mental images of the women described?
What’s the Full Story?
When you read that I had been to Court numerous times, you probably thought I had been in trouble with the law. In actual fact, I have not only appeared in Court on behalf of my employer several times, but I have also served jury duty.
I may have changed job numerous times – I’ve been a primary school teacher, a debt collection officer, a Tupperware lady, a shop assistant in a jeweller’s store, a fulltime Mum, a library assistant, a clerk in various state and local government departments, a checkout chick, a receptionist, an office temp, a freelance journalist, a virtual assistant, an SEO consultant – but then who hasn’t by the time they’ve reached my age?!
And the designer labels hanging in my wardrobe? All bought at the good ol’ op shop of course!
I’ve shared posts previously about my brief modeling career, and my time in Sandgate Children’s Home; and the little cottage we used to live in. But I can see there are some other things that I haven’t yet blogged about … my battle with depression, or the story of how I got kicked out of home (note to self: must do something about this!).
It’s a fun little experiment, but it also teaches us a valuable lesson about our perceptions of others. Don’t be too quick to judge! You may not have all the information. We are ALL very complex beings …
Were you surprised to discover that the four descriptions were all about just one person?
A great post! I was thinking that they might all be similar people because I too could fit into each description. My husband always says when I tell him things from my past he wonders how I became me. But I am me because of my past. Don’t define the clothes people wear or the house they live in.
Sounds like we have lots in common! I often have friends say much the same thing, how did I turn out so “normal” … well that’s just a matter of opinion LOL!
Very clever, how quickly we can judge from just a few snippets of information! Love it. xx N
What an excellent point you have just made. Thank you that you have been willing to be so share so much about yourself in doing so. It sounds like your life experiences really have made you a remarkable woman today. I look forward to reading the stories that will come and going back to some of the links you have shared.
Great post to highlight this! We all jump to conclusions so quickly, often without the full background and details x
A very clever post Janet, love it, it’s so true, we should never just judge on face value, such a hard thing to instil in children but something I’m working on. How cute are you modelling? x
I still remember all the fuss everybody made of me at school when that ad came out in the newspaper 😉
Absolutely brilliant!
You definitely can never make a judgement on someone else without knowing all the facts. Therefore, you can never place a judgement on someone.
What a great post! It’s a great reminder to challenge those prejudices we all have. I have had a pretty chequered past myself and have been rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful, had high highs and low lows. They all gave me what I think to be a pretty solid sense of empathy and certainly plenty to write about! Thanks Janet – great food for thought.
A life rich in experiences – as you say it’s a goldmine for us bloggers 😉
You totally had me fooled there Janet. It did indeed sound like 4 completely different women. I agree that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. Everyone has their story and not all of them fine and dandy. We need to practice a lot more tolerance of one another in this world
LOL glad I had you fooled 😉
This is so clever Janet! We all have many personalities woven through our beings. 🙂
You and I have more in common than I thought! There’s nothing wrong with a resume that looks like a patchwork quilt.
xx
Ha! Yes! And now I’ve reached the (ahem!) age where I only include the “relevant” careers/jobs on my resume …
This is a very clever post Janet! Never judge a book by it’s cover! There’s layers and layers into someone’s life.
A great experiment in perspectives I think!! I think we are all guilty at some point of judging the book by its cover, which is sad… We never know what someone is hiding under the covers!
It just goes to show that we all wear different ‘hats’ at different times in our lives. You can never judge someone by who they appear to be right here and now. Thanks for sharing!
Great post Janet illustrating a very valid point. Too much judgement and assumption in the world.
Love this post, Janet, shows how judgmental humans can be, including me! I must say it sounds like you have done so much and been through so much in your life to get to where you are now! Well, we grow wiser with every experience right? Thanks for your honest sharing!
Thanks Summer – I guess it’s true – what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger 😉
Wow what a clever post! And what a life you have lived!! Your experiences definitely would have made you the lovely person you are today!
Maybe I should write a book??? Nah, I’d rather be blogging!
Tricky! My first thought was it could be one (or 2) people because I figured there must be a catch to the post, you are too clever for there not to be! And from looking at the person you are now (and your description) you would never know what struggles you have been through. #teamIBOT