The fact that THAT man or woman is sweeping floors today in your company today, does not mean s/he cannot be the owner of a successful business tomorrow. Actually, s/he could one day become YOUR boss, or indeed the CEO of the company you work for! Countless examples abound!!

Where I come from (Nigeria) people like to say “No condition is permanent”.

History has proven this to be so, many times over.

But some people just refuse to stop judging the ability or competence of others by their looks or appearances.

The fail to realise that it’s what appears on the surface may not accurately represent what lies below it. They fail to avoid being superficial in their thinking.

In case you wonder how this habit/tendency constitutes a problem…

Consider the possibility that a person(s) fond of judging people by outward appearances, are chosen to handle selection of a new set of Graduate Trainees into your company…

Or maybe in your local council, they are to select “youthful talents” to represent the state in some competitive sporting events.

What is likely to happen is that the initial screening stages would be characterised by random assumptions being made about the abilities of the boys and girls who show up or apply – based on how they “look”.

Among other possibilities, a cross-eyed person would be regarded as “potentially dishonest”…even though s/he may have been born that way!

This could result in non-inclusion of some uniquely talented youngsters whose “looks” or unusual style do not impress the “officials”.

If the “problem” is not immediately apparent to you, let me use some notables historical examples to illustrate:

a. We are told that Julius Caesar was an epileptic, yet his name remains etched in history till this day

b. Charles Dickens was lame, but that did not stop him from becoming a successful author

c. Plato was a hunchback, yet today many of us find it apt to quote him on various subjects that he chose to comment on.

d. Collin Powell started as a floor mopper but is today retired having served in one of the most exalted positions in the American Armed Forces and Government.

e. And then there is the story of Helen (in my opinion “Superwoman”) Keller, who was supposed to be multiply handicapped and yet recorded MORE achievements than most “normal” people!

The list goes on – underscoring the fact that people can overcome their (seeming) outward limitations to succeed in ways NOT expected by those who see them.

Maybe I should bring it even closer home.

If YOU were asked to pick from a group of ten(10) people, one person who looks like an International athletics champion…

a. Wwould you pick a skinny, frail looking guy with (seemingly) sunken eyes (which incidentally is the typical appearance of many world champion class long distance runners)

b. Or would you choose the fierce/aggressive looking guy with rippling muscles(a description befitting most short distance/sprint athletes)?

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I want to say that I am reasonably certain that MANY people would pick someone fitting the latter description!

People generally assume a muscular, person to be more capable of achievment than a slim/skinny looking person – who may NOT necessarily be weak!

That’s why in real life, few sports persons in the sprints can boast of having the phenomenal endurance and stamina possessed and displayed during races by long distance runners.

To those of us who are uninitiated, they however seldom look the part at first glance.

It is only when they demonstrate their innate abilities on the tracks or field that we recognise their genius and THEN begin to believe!

“Genius does not show itself on a person’s face so that others can see it and then respect or recognise him/her for it. That’s why we must NEVER write people off without FIRST (and as often as possible afterward) giving them a FAIR and IMPARTIAL opportunity to SHOW what they can do” – Tayo K. Solagbade

Just as it is with sports, so it is in life.

Sadly, most of us are often initially unwilling to give others a chance, because their “looks” or appearances suggest they CANNOT. As a result, some unlikely geniuses who come our way get sidetracked by our “screening” panels.

Just imagine what would have happened if Helen Keller had never been given a chance to excel like she did. Our world would NOT have enjoyed the blessing of her talents like it has!

We need to learn to stop using people’s outward appearances to JUDGE what they can or cannot do.

It would be so much better – for us, those we assess, and the rest of society – if we focus on “teasing” out people’s FULL potentials so we can draw accurate assessments of the value they can add to us at any point in time.

The following quote, by a very wise man, provides a fitting end to this piece:

“Treat people as though they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they’re capable of being” – Johann Von Goethe

PS: This article is based on excerpts from an issue of Tayo Solagbade’s Self-Development Digest first published online on 4th February 2008, on spontaneousdevelopment.com.