I used a program at work and needed support and called the support service. I talked with the same guy several times over a period of time. He was a real guru and bright and intelligent in every way.
When we once needed help in person on the scene he drove to our company to help us.
I was amazed when I saw him because he looked stupid.
How can anybody look stupid? What kind of feature in the face represents a stupid look? It is nothing I am proud of in any way, but if I had seen him before I spoke to him I would definitely made the wrong conclusion about his intelligence.
The fact that I know that the colleagues with me at the time reacted in the same way does only make things worse.
How can a person get that label by the looks?
Some handicaps like Down Syndrome often result in a “characteristic look”, but alternative intelligence does not mean stupid in the first place. And now I’m not talking about a labelled handicap.
How and when in our lives do we learn what “stupid” looks like? Is it the same as ugly? So if you look good you are intelligent and if you are ugly you are stupid?
I think it is scary.
I think it is scary that I label persons only after a second by the look of the face.
I know I’m not alone doing this, but that does not give me comfort.
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