From the Jack’s Winning Words blog recently comes this quote, which sounds like something that Yogi Barra would have said:
“You should never be surprised at getting surprised.” (Kirk Gibson)
We all get surprised from time to time. Sometimes the surprise is that something or
someone doesn’t turn out to fit the preconceived expectations that we had about it/them. Much of the time that is because our preconceptions where based upon some form of prejudice and were kicked off by our visual impression of the person. How many times have you looked at someone and just “knew” what kind of a person they must be? And, how many times were you surprised, once you took the time to get to know them?
I remember the look on the faces of the judges when the little frumpy looking 47-year-old lady from England, Susan Boyle, took the stage on the Britain’s Got Talent show. As you watch this video of that performance you will see what surprise looks like. As one of the judges admitted, “We were all a little cynical before you sang.” Aren’t we all a little cynical in our day to day lives? Or, maybe it is just that we’re all a little prejudiced and pre-judge people before they open their mouths.
Perhaps it’s time for a real Yogi Barra saying and admit that when we prejudge people – “I made a wrong mistake.”
Give the people who you encounter the benefit of the doubt. Some may indeed prove whatever preconception that you had of them to be true; however, most may surprise you and turn out to be someone that you enjoy getting to know. Perhaps they come at life from a different perspective than you do, but that’s a good thing that I’ve posted about before on this blog – see https://normsmilfordblog.com/2017/05/10/cant-figure-something-out-try-looking-at-it-from-a-new-perspective/
Not only may you see things from a different perspective, but you may learn something, too. If nothing else, perhaps you’ll learn something about yourself and perhaps make some changes in how you look at life and at other people.
So go out this week and surprise yourself. Break through your self-imposed barriers of cynicism and met and talk with someone new; talk with someone that you had avoided talking to because of your preconceptions about them. Don’t be surprised if you’re surprised.
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