Episode 5 - Don't Judge By What You See

So many people make decisions by what they see. But we shouldn't make such superficial judgements any more. That's very important in the social service sector. If we are to tackle the challenges well, together and effectively then getting to know people and to understand them is more important than ever.

“It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them”

— Linda Blair

'It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them,' says Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist and author of Straight Talking. 'It's not a conscious process, so we don't even realise we're doing it - but it goes back to our primitive roots when we couldn't afford to make wrong decisions.'

I am used to that happening in the business world. It does not always serve us well as a society. We miss opportunities, and we make decisions before we know and understand the facts. If we are to help people and be a force for good, then we have to look beyond what we see on the surface.

This podcast is about making judgements, and how people thought about us at the Nepean Disability Expo. What did they make of us giving little pot plants away? We used that to challenge their preconceptions and inspire them to think differently.