Stephanie Barnes
As hard as we try, many of us still end up judging others and conjuring misconceptions about them based solely on their appearance. If a woman opts for a more androgynous style of dress, it would be easy to assume she’s a part of the LGBTQ+ community but that’s not always the case. You may say it’s just human nature but judging someone on their looks can often lead to harmful situations.
While it’s probably best to avoid assumptions, not everyone got the memo.
In a recent Reddit thread, women chimed in to answer the question: What is the biggest misconception people have about you based on your appearance and why?
The answers here are definitely interesting. If nothing else, after reading, you’ll be more aware of just how much we assume about others.
Here are 20 of those responses.
1. Self-conscious
I’m overweight so people often assume I’m self-conscious about my physical appearance. Jokes on you, I’m sexy af.
2. That she’s straight
That I’m straight, because I look feminine, but I’m SO not.
3. Not all grandmas…
I’m a 60 year old grandmother and I look like a 60 year old grandmother. I’m not nearly as nice as people think I am.
4. That boobs trump brains
People assume I get hired for my big chest instead of my work ethic 🙁 I’ve walked in on multiple co workers gossiping about my chest.
5. Pauper posture
Just physically appearance only: people will assume that I’m poor. I drive an old car with peeling paint (who cares how it looks, it runs great!) I wear ratty jeans outside with holes (super comfortable), if I’m not in those jeans I’m either in sweats or leggings, with an old sweatshirt and my hair in a ponytail. My husband is the same. Neither of us look or dress particularly affluent. Of course not spending money on things like nice cars or clothes is part of what’s helped us save a lot of money, so there’s that.
6. The life of the party
That I am a social butterfly and I enjoy going to bars and clubs. I really don’t. I just want to play Skyrim and read a book in my pyjamas while petting my cat. Probably because I am bubbly at work.
7. Resting b-tch face
I have a seriously bad resting bitch face which I try to soften when I think of it. I joined a new team in work and one of the women said she couldn’t believe how nice I was because I looked so unpleasant when she saw me in the canteen before she knew me.
8. That she’s a little naive
People often think that I’m naive, since I am an enthusiastic optimist. I actually have been through more than I’ll ever tell, because only part of it is enough to shock people so badly they become ridiculously uncomfortable asking/talking about it. My optimism has prevented me from taking my life on several occasions where even I didn’t know how to go on.
9. Misconceptions rooted in racism
I’m black so I’ve been hearing weird stereotypes and attributes based on my appearance for years.
10. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s a wig…
People always assume my hair must be fake. It’s shocking to some people that I can actually grow hair.
