Going Beyond Appearances is Dangerous, Unpredictable, and Freeing

I stumbled upon an article on fake olive oil article this morning. We have been duped into purchasing fake olive oil masquerading as virgin olive oil. A desire to pursue health benefits has been trumped, at least in part, by the need to save money.

We want save money, and sometimes going for the cheaper prices involves a significant sacrifice elsewhere. Oftentimes it means someone somewhere is being paid unfair wages insufficient for sustaining basic needs. In the case of olive oil, there seems to be indication that ingesting fake olive oil can be detrimental to one's health. If we take something at face value, the information we get can be deceptive and is, at best, partial. Doing some more investigating offers a more robust and comprehensive view. I definitely care what goes into my body; so, I will be more careful when I shop.

What happens when we take this consumerist mentality towards our interactions with people? Granted, matters concerning people are always more complicated and less clean cut. People have thoughts, feelings, preferences. And people seem to have abundant obligations with precious little time and energy to fulfill them. We cannot realistically invest in everyone's lives. I get it. I live there.

But, what if judging people by their appearances is misinforming, misleading, or offers only part of the picture? An individual, who is now a close friend, after finding out I have a PhD, was intimidated and would not approach me for the longest time. There are circumstances I might enjoy giving off the air of being intimidating - at academic conferences or when students try to weasel their way out of their responsibilities. But, being intimidating and unapproachable is not me.

There is so much deeper, beneath the surface, beyond appearances, insofar as people are concerned. Once we have some comprehension of the stuff beyond what is skin deep, we begin to have greater insight in to the person as a whole.

Indeed, looking beyond appearances requires time and energy. The risk is much more far reaching than that. Becoming acquainted with people is unpredictable and dangerous. We could discover messy stuff about someone else, too embarrassing to tell. We could also uncover difficulties or gaping wounds in our own lives.

But, what if looking only at appearances is like living with the lights off, and we can barely make out what is going on?!

What if the stakes are high, and we stand to lose everything when we do not learn to listen, see, dialogue, and observe more with people?

People have so much to offer.

We are part of the living dead when we do not invest in others. People are treasure troves of knowledge and experiences. Side note: I am not hereby claiming that people are to be interpreted or used merely as a means towards some goal.

I am honored to be bestowed any part of anyone's life story. We are not made isolated, non-relational beings. We thrive and flourish when we commune with others. We, as people, are taken to depths we would otherwise be unable to traverse. This is where we should live, invested in the lives of others.

I dare to embark on the unpredictable, by going beyond appearances, to help us freely and truly be ourselves.