I judge books by their covers

This morning it took me a minute to remember where I parked my car last night.  Then I remembered: on the other side of the building.  I came home late last night after dinner and movie with a friend, and as I was turning into my usual parking side I saw two young black men, leaning on one of the few lamp posts with their arms crossed.  I know we learn it is terrible to judge, and these two could have been National Merrit Finalists taking a study break to contemplate their Yale admissions essays, but...it didn't look like it.  It looked more like baby-mama drama or a drug deal.  So I parked on the other side of the building and snuck into my apartment, staying out of their line of sight.  I had my leftovers in one hand and my mace in the other.  If a long-lost friend had jumped out of the bushes at me, I would have maced them in the face. 
     People get so uptight about judging people, but I think it is a survival instinct.  If you are a gazelle and you see a lion, most likely it is a lion, not a baboon dressed up like a lion.  It would be stupid for the gazelle to think, "hmm, maybe this lion is different, maybe it is a vegetarian!".  The gazelle could be right, but who really wants to risk life and limb to find out?  I think it is the same socially, professionally and in every other aspect of my life.  Looking clean and professional, or whatever the situation dictates, is key to success.  You don't have to be beautiful, but you should think about what your image is projecting to others.  The other day when I went to the spa, I was sitting in the waiting room.  Two possible aestheticians came out to call for their clients, and I automatically hoped I had the one with the nice makeup and hair, and not the one with wrinkly pants and the bad skin.  Unconsciously we equate looks with intelligence and ability, and it is not always the case, but it is a natural human instinct.  According to the New York Times, attractive men who attach a photo of themselves in job applications have significantly higher callback rates than men who are plain-looking or have no picture (Rampell).  It's science.  Why do we fight it?  I know I will most likely continue to take the safe route versus the "don't judge a book by its cover" route.  My mom sent me some wasp spray when I first moved into my own apartment.  Apparently it is as effective as mace but instead of the person having to be up close and personal when you spray it, it has a shooting range of 20 feet.  Maybe I will start carrying that around with me instead, and just spray people from a distance that look shifty.  That would get people to clean up their act, kind of like an extreme What Not to Wear.  You are not going to get any help, but you are going to know your look needs improving.  Ha.

Rampell, Catherine. "Are Attractive People More Employable?." Economix. The New York Times, 9 Feb 2011. Web. 9 Feb 2011. <http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/are-attractive-people-more-employable/>.