Was heading of a store today and saw this guy out of the corner of my eye. The way he was dressed, acted, and looked I could tell he was homeless. Right as I exited the store he tried to talk to me saying "Hey Boss", "Uhh Sir", "Hey" and after the hey just pretty much left me alone. They say it's wrong to judge people, but when I see people like that I tend to judge them on site as a general rule for my safety. *Been a few cases where a homeless people have attacked others including one here in FL where a homeless person attacked that nun*

Do you think I was wrong to judge that person right off the bat?

Everyone judges everyone.

It's human nature to judge people. Whether you act on that judgment or not is a different story.

Yes. Everybody does it. It's completely natural human behaviour.

It's natural for a social animal like us. What makes us different from others is that we can choose to follow it, or improve that judgement.

Yes, I have a bad habit of being judgemental. Trying to fix it, but it's going to take a long time. =/

I don't see anything wrong with acting on preconceptions if your experience tells you it's better for your safety that way.

This
By actions, appearance, and sometimes preconcieved notions due to individual experience.

See that's one thing that irritated me when I look back on it after taking a Management Skills and Services class in HS where I dealt with responding to medical situations. One thing that was briefly touched upon was treatment of women and "If a woman dresses in scanty dress ware/attire they shouldn't be treated as a [censored]." However i've found that to be the complete opposite in the real world where if you dress like a skank/trash you get treated as such with it being the norm.

It's not judging people on the first look that's wrong... it's sticking to it without even trying to see further, even if more info leads to another conclusion. Giving the benefit of a doubt is a safe and sane approach. Start on a respectful interaction, than adjust according to reaction. And listen to that little voice that says "something's wrong!" if apply.

I am the law!

I used to.

I wouldn't say what you were doing was judging -- you were stereotyping. Everyone does both, and most stereotype for the very reason you did, for their safety.

Anyone that suggests they don't do this is lying.

We all do it, but we should try not to judge people when we don't know their story. For your safety, I think what you did was okay, especially if you were alone. You have to protect yourself from any potential dangers... Don't feel too bad about it. Safety comes first. But maybe next time, if you are in a group, it would be okay to stop and see if you can help the person. But I would not advise doing so if you are alone.

This, even if they say they don't they're liars.

Sure I judge people. Sometimes I even test them to judge their character even if it means getting ripped off, sometimes it's worth more to know a persons character.
In a perfect world everyone can get along but you really have to keep in mind it's not a perfect world and humans are the most dangerous thing on the planet. I'm not apathetic to all strangers but I tend to mind my own business and leave people to do the same.
Ya know don't mess with strangers, there are a lot of young people on here so I think that should be said. You did the right thing ignoring the guy. If he needs a handout he could go to a shelter or a soup kitchen I'd give them directions to one if I thought they really needed it.

Yeah, I probably do judge people too much. Based on the way someone is dressed, or the way they carry themselves in general, I decide if they're trouble or not. I also sometimes decide that someone is a [censored] after talking to them for 30 seconds, and after meeting them a few more times, decide that they're actually OK. It's something that I'd like to fix, but it's going to be pretty hard.

This, anyone who says they dont judge people is lying. I judge people, one time I saw this guy, I cant remember him now, but I remember thinking he didnt look like a kind guy and was a guy who would be a bully, then I saw him helping someone with a wheelchair. I felt bad I judged him like that based on looks, but everyone does that and it will never change.

I dont see why people talk about "fixing" this, you will always judge people like it or not, just keep the toughts in your head then if it turn out you are wrong about thm it dosent matter.

I feel it is wrong to judge someone based on somthing as fleeting as the clothing they happen to be wearing at the exact moment when you happen to see them. People should only be judged based on the color of their skin.



(In case you can't tell, that's a joke. Here is my serious answer)

Judginging people is part of our behavioral makeup. It is an intrgal part of our society. Everyone around you is judging you right now. If you want to be treated a certain way then you should carry yourself in a manner that attracts that treatment. I've known many people who say things like "I don't care what anyone thinks, I happy doing this" only to later be mad at the way people treat them when they are dressed, acting or engaged in the behavior that they chose.

And you still do, just like everyone else.

Yup. I do both. Judge and stereotype. Oh, I also have a great dislike of everyone. If I don't like you upon our first meeting, then I will never like you and nothing will ever change that.

I'm a very cold person.

Everybody judges everyone.

Of course I judge and stereotype people. However, I try to be aware of my own judgments and stereotypes (both positive and negative). By being aware of my own biases in regards to others, I seek to improve myself and do my best to avoid judging others simply based on appearance or even initial actions (the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_%28psychology%29#Fundamental_attribution_error is a very interesting thing).

Of course I judge people: but I try to keep an open mind. I think we all jump to conclusions, but sticking rigidly to them is when it becomes problematic. I don't always succeed, but I try to remain aware of it.

I tend to be wary of those who say they don't judge and are unprejudiced since experience tells me they're the harshest of all.

I don't judge, I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt.