Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Perception
In True Notebooks, the juvenile inmates are branded as "criminals" for life. And, in Persepolis the Iranians are as normal as anyone else, but in America they're viewed as "terrorists." Have you ever been in a similar situation where you've been perceived in a negative way? Or, have you been labeled in a negative way? What was the situation, and how were you negatively perceived?
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I don't think anyone has ever judged me in a negative way, I've never gave anyone a reason to dislike me. I keep to myself more than anything and that could be why people often see me as an anti-social. Other than that I feel I'm a pretty likebale guy.
ReplyDeleteI have been negatively perceived many of times. One that is the most recent is when I was pregnant and people just assumed I was going to drop out of school and never get to college. As it is I'm sitting here telling the story that many believed I could not do. I don't know why many people thought I couldn't do it when my personality says so much about me and my abilities to do what I want and of course to do what I need. The people who said I wouldn't get through regular high school with a baby were very wrong and I know that they compared me to other people who they knew and from statistics but I proved statistics and the usual story wrong. All I needed was my family who knew I could push through any obstacle because that’s just who I am. I will grab anything by the horns and take it on head first.
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of the previous post of being an outsider looking in and people will judge from what they see, without getting to know the person or learn the situation. Perception and Judging to me are very similar when used in this way and maybe if we can find another way around perception or judging we can educate ourselves in the long run.
Yes, I have been in a situation where I'd been percieved wrong, or in a negative way. I remember my best friend's 12th grade luncheon, Which I was invited by her. My best friend is a very athletic female, which makes everyone judge her sexuality. So, on the day of her luncheon, when we arrived at her highschool, the faculty told me that I was unable to attend, and that I needed to leave. And, I was wondering why I was being treated this way? And why couldn't I attend? But, I later found out that they thought my bestfriend and I were lovers and they weren't going to tolerate it. This hurt my feelings so bad, when I found out and I was very enraged because, for 1, we're not lesbians, and for 2, if we were it wasn't up to them to judge us, because that would just be who we are. And, who are they to label someone?! I think this by far was the worst situation of misperception.
ReplyDeleteWow, well I have been labeled many times during highschool. I have been called an emo, poser, and a flirt. I heard them all before but I didn't really care what they called me. They called me an emo because, I use to dress in black years ago. A poser because they thought I was lying about me being able to dance, and couldn't believe there eyes once they saw me dance. Last but not least they called me a flirt because I use to talk to everyone friendly and they all took it the wrong way, which i hated the most. But all those labels didn't stop me from contiuning what I was doing in life. They just got annoying after a while hearing it day by day. One day they all just stop and actually took the time to get to know me. They realized I wasn't anyhting they labeled me as and I got to become friends with most of them.
ReplyDeleteBeing perceived in a bad way can not always end up good, but also bad. Alot of teens and children had got bully before by these remarks from other kids. Most of them took it to the heart and either committed suicide or getting who ever bully them back. It's not fun to be made fun of or label. It's dangerous and hurtful to many of us. Which I believe we all had got perceived in a negative way. People need to grow up and think before saying something awful to another. In other words STOP THE LABELING!!!
I was perceived in a negative once because of my race. In elementary school onn my first day in a new school at the start of 7th grade i was judged by a group of white boys. They started out by making jokes saying things like i dont look right with my pants pulled up and that i probably stoled my shoes that i had on. They contiued making racial jokes and being rude until the day i read out loud for the first time, they found out that i was very well spoken and that i could do more than just play ball and rap. Those same boys now are my friends and we sometimes hang out together and now they compliment my basketball all rapping skills.
ReplyDeleteIn school for a very long time they called me a nerd, when I started to go to public schools. I talked out in class when the teacher asked question, I read when it was or wasn't assigned, and when kids would be putting down the work I couldn't help but to say otherwise. They were kind of uncomfortable with that and made me the square of the cool groups I hung out in. It was okay because the people I knew were cooler than me and a little more excepted but I didn't want to piggy back off of their friendships. I could sometimes benefit from being kind of a "nerd" because I made profit from doing english homework and write poems for people in class. I took the label they gave me and made it okay. I'm alright with who I am and people undwerstood that I wasn't going to change so they either got with it or left it alone. I know more people in the world like myself that deal with not being considered a winner because they didn't want to smoke and drink. Besides, girls liked me whether I was a geek or not and I adore girls. If I could talk to cute girls all day long I wouldn't need cool friends. That's the bottom line to me.
ReplyDeleteMe being from the Detroit Metro area, we are always negatively perceived, everybody always has this bad concept about Detroit. Just think of your urban areas, it’s just like that, we have the beggars just like you, we have thieves, and the ignorant young generation. That doesn’t mean that I’m like them though. After moving to the suburbs, I never noticed that it actually wasn’t that bad. We have nice placed out there as well, the downtown river front, which is where my g grandmother lives, nice houses, condo's and pint houses is what my grandmother has, most people think of it as dirty, scary, and unbelievable. That only if you go to a certain part. Every city has those “certain" areas to where you don’t want to go. I believe that people should take the time to see the good areas of every city, then you will have the chance to say “wow Detroit is a nice city” instead of saying what you heard about it or saw on TV, of course they are going to show the bad parts, that’s the media! If it’s not sad or bad, who’s going to watch it? Nobody wants to see happy stuff on the news all the time, then it’ll be boring and there will be nothing to really watch and you wouldn’t know the horrible things going on in the world. Don’t judge me because I am from Detroit, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteIn todays society you are automatically labeled or catergorized based on how you look. Looks can go into skin color,relegion,the way you dress, walk,talk, it is the way you present yourself to the world. You may not present yourself negatively to the world but based on the way society thinks. If a certain group of people who dress, act, or look alike does something constantly over and over, society soon get the mind set that all who fits that description will do the same. Based on this of coursed i have been percieved differently then the actual person i am. As a young african american male i am quick to be catergorized as a gang member, a disrepectful individual, or even a drop out.
ReplyDeleteOne day i was heading to harold washington college for my first class at 10:00am, and I was immediately pulled over by officers. The first thing they said was that they have a program starting around the neighborhood that any student they see cutting class they must arrest them and return them to their families. They didnt even think to ask me where was I going or even an I.D to see if I was even in high school. They went off of society beliefs that as young males have set for ourselves. I kindly explained that I was a college student not an highschool student. I couldnt get mad at them for catergorizing in the way that they did, the only thing I could do was forgive them for being manipulated by society.
Yes, I have been in a similar situation. My 8th grade year we had a new office secretary and it was her first day on the job. I was brought to the office because I had got into a little altercation with a student and I was so upset that when I walked into the office I was shouting and very angry.Then came my freshman year of high school, the same lady from my previous school became secretary at my new school. Everytime I saw her I was titled that bad girl and she would tell some of the workers. I knew that she told them because I was asked by many of the faculty. I felt that the lady did not know me so she shouldnt have went off of her first impressions, she could have gotten to know me, the real me. As I went on through my years of high school, she still looked at me different and called me a "bad person" because of what happened when I was only an 8th grader.
ReplyDeleteBeing a teenager these days is a hard life to deal with. We are considered "The Generation" and we are expected to fix all of these arising problems left for us by past generations. I do not like all of that weight on my shoulders. I am one to buckle under such pressure. I look at my generation with disappointment. Kids these days are not what I want to looked at as. Girls are getting prego, young kids are dropping out of school before sophomore year, and I feel a majority of us are running with no sense of direction. I am also disappointed in myself. I do things that are frowned upon by older generations, so how can I sit here and bash a category that I myself fall into. I love it but I hate it. I'm proud of who I am but I could not say that others would be. We are so apathetic these days; indifferent towards everything. People say, “ why should I care if it's not affecting me now?” We are living in proof of why we should care. The major problems we have today are the cause older generations mistakes. And now they are left for us. We should care TODAY. Who knows what is going to come tomorrow, but I know I do not want to leave it for my kids to deal with. There isn't a lot anyone can do to help us. We don't listen to advice others want us to hear. I am uncomfortable with that. I don't want to be view as apathetic asshole. We all don't stand for what our generation entails. There are some who are different, but in a way we're all one in the same. In a way we are unstoppable. We love violent, scandalous, and vulgar things. Rebellion is our way and it's not changing. We are angry. You can't fight against the youth because we're strong and we're rude, rude people.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm sure a lot of people have had this negative label just being a teenager is sometimes perceived negatively. I mean just walking into a store is hard enough being a teenager without the whole staff staring you down watching if you’re going to shoplift. The media doesn't portray us well for the longest time we were viewed as hell spawns. Dr. Phil got up on the TV and started spewing hateful words towards teenagers say that we disobey our parents, that deep down inside is a riot waiting to happen. So I see the eyes watching me every time I walk into a store no matter how nice I'm being they watch me as if I was planting bombs in their store.
ReplyDeleteI wear dark clothes most the time and most with pictures of weird or dark imagery sometimes. When people see me on the streets they look like I'm going to take their throats out but that’s not me, yes I do listen to death metal and heavier rock at times but I also listen to John Mayer Jack Johnson maroon 5. I'm nothing like that music I listen to I'm probably one of the most harmless guys you could ever meet and I'd like to think I'm pretty nice to. People need to stop believing everything they watch on TV or movies isn't that why there are still racial problems because media portrays certain groups on a certain way. So next time you look at someone and think that he might be out to get you, I know this sounds crazy but talk to them you might be surprised he just might become your best friend
Have I ever been perceived in a negative way? Yes, I think everyone has. Even though your family and friends know you, you might be looked at by someone else differently and they could have different opinions about you. I was perceived as being childish, because the person who made the comment didn’t know me the person thought I was just acting silly and I wanted my way. but in reality that was just me being myself, I know sometimes I can be silly and I can take some things to far but I know my friends and they know me, if they’re dealing with it why was it there for someone to even say anything. I wouldn’t change for anybody to see me as any other person but me. I couldn’t believe that I had been called childish. I know I’m a kind person and I like to make new friends others judging people from the start just shows me we won’t be friends. I know people judge others but I think that people need to get over themselves and start having conversations with people they don’t know, it could be weird at first but you never know you guys could be friends for life.
ReplyDeleteSince I have graduated from high school things have really changed for me. When I was in school I was labeled "a good guy" I really didnt have problems with anyone. I had a lot of friends and I never stabbed them in the back nor been phony to any of them cause thats not the type of person I am. Only times when I would get into confict is when I feel that one of my friends have tried to get over on me or were unloyal. So at the beginniing of my senior year we I had good ties with all my friends. We would hang out and chill like the kids off of saved by the bell. Everything was good. Over time slowly but surely I started to fall out with a lot of them. Some for being childish, unloyal and even cause some of them lives were going in a negative direction that I didnt want to get involved in. Each and every time I fell out with one of my former friends I never argued with one of them I simply stop messsing with them and went my own way. When people asked me questions like why you aint been hanging with so and so? I would reply "Oh I just haven't." This is not a diss towards that person because I couldn't see what I would achieve by doing so. While I'm being cool with the situation the people I fell out with are talking about me to other people in a negative way. Its kind of like they miss me or something. Which is kinda weird when it comes to boys if you ask me. So after a while after these guys are talking about me so much that the word spread to a lot of people. So now people who I used to be cool with, now see me in a negative way because of what my former friends told them. In this situation though I really dont care. Its funny to me I kinda feel like a villain in a movie. This also shows me that I must be a cool person to hang around with cause this drama has been going on for about 6 months and I still being viewed negtively. To my friends that remain with me they see what the truth of the matter is and they know how much of a good person I am. This whole situation is just a big misunderstanding but its one that I dont care about correcting.
ReplyDeletei feel like just how some Americans call all of the middle east terrorists, us Americans are in the same boat. Alot of Americans are percieved wrongly when they say that Americans are all materialistic. There are alot of materialistic Americans but everyone isnt, just how there are alot of people they call terrorists in the middle east, but everyone isnt. Us americans are probally seemed as terrorist too. Remember that what is terrorism to one person is patriotism to another. We see them as terrorists because they bring terror to our country, but they do have reasons for what they do. To show that they are patriotic about their country/beliefs, they must do what they are told even if that means commiting suicide to bring terror.
ReplyDeleteI tend to be very blunt and honest and some people take it the wrong way. I feel that everyone should know how I am feeling or how I feel about them or something they have done whether it is good or bad. However they take it is on them. I have never been one to think twice about what I say when it has to do with my personal feelings. Why should I? Yes people have feelings but I also have a mind and a mouth to speak on what I think and feel. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I am never offended when people try to tell me about myself because I know how I am. The truth hurts, but I am here to give it to you because someone has to. Another example is when people first meet me I really don't have much to say which is normal. Some take that as me being shy but I am only observing the people around me. I am outgoing and fun and once I open up people will start to see the real me. It just takes a little more time than others.
ReplyDeleteI just read just about everyone's post and I found them all very interesting!
ReplyDeleteMost times I am negatively perceived because I’m with a girl. Most people tell me it’s a phase, and I say yeah ok. That crazy to me. I have been with this girl for almost 4 years. Me and her are kind of a like, the only thing different is that she dresses more like a surfer, not the big baggy clothes but she does where the male clothes, the skinny jeans and good stuff like that, she doesn’t try to prove anything, she’s just more comfortable in looser clothes, and she’s about 5"9 which makes her about 4 inches taller than me. We are alike because we play sports and we like to work out a lot, in other words, we are very athletic. Another difference is I love to shop, she doesn’t, sometimes I call her the typical laid back guy, just to joke, when we are in public people do stair, yes I hold her hand, because it’s my relationship and I’m not going to hide it from anybody like I use to do, it’s not a phase, and we have issues like many other relationships. Some people that are homosexuals commit suicide, and that’s because they were afraid and felt unaccepted. I don’t really label myself as a lesbian, I consider myself unlabeld, I date people for their heart, not for what’s in their pants., I can talk all day on this topic. I’m also negatively perceived because most girls think that I want them just because they are a girl, and that is not true, I don’t have many friends that are lesbians, which many people think I do, and also the guys are the worse, they say can I have you both and I say your gross, that is disgusting, but I just deal with it because I’m not leaving her because of how someone else feels about her or I’m not leaving just because how others feel about it. All I am trying to say is be yourself, no matter what!!
ReplyDelete@ Elle I think you should watch how you say things to certain people because you don't know there situation and they may not handle what you say to them kindly. I don’t know if you watch the news but a lady went crazy because the McDonalds drive-thru woman told them they had no more chicken nuggets... now that may sound crazy but you have no idea if she had a bad day or if she's just crazy. My point is that you never know what’s going on in people’s lives.
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