How do you know if your first impression is accurate when meeting someone new?
I don't trust my initial impression. I have one for certain, but I give them room to change my mind. I'm always waiting for new information and I play the person's advocate. I try to generate numerous possibilities for their behavior. I've been the on the receiving end of a lot of shallow and quick judgments. I think that is the best way to learn how not to do it. It takes recognizing the psychology of the judgment toward yourself in order to understand how you do it to others or conversely, you can better understand why they do it if you see it clearly in yourself. When you repeatedly see the outcome of a judgment appear differently than the first impression, it should teach you to suspend it. I was in a confrontation at work in which a person said to me that they were a "superb judge of character." I asked them if they were ever wrong. They said "no, never." I told them if they were never wrong, they most likely weren't learning or honest with themselves, and should be trusted the least with character judgments and walked away.
What should you do when you are being followed by a store employees who may be suspecting that you are a shoplifter or "suspicious character" because of your race or garb?
After having them follow you around you could go up to them and ask them why they are following you. The last time this happened to me, I was too young to really see what was going on. I was so offended, I felt they didn't deserve my money and left the store. Now, in my wiser stage, I would feel the same way, but I would also want to flip the situation on to the person that was following me. Now that I'm older, I would know what to say to them to make them feel very bad for choosing to follow me.
Why do so many people believe there is only one correct way to learn or play guitar?
This is mostly for the veteran guitar players who answer questions here. Why do so many of you seem convinced that any way to learn guitar other than how you did is wrong? I see many answers that say you MUST learn on an acoustic first. Or that you MUST get lessons from an instructor. Or that you MUST learn how to read music. I learned on an electric. I took lessons for about 6 months and have been self-taught for the last 17 years. I can somewhat read music, but I didn't learn as part of my guitar training. I didn't learn the way I'm told people are "supposed" to learn, and I think I've proven through my answers here that I am least a competent guitarist and know what I'm talking about, if not a master or virtuoso (I make no claim to being either). So, why is there this mindset that there is only one "right" way to do it? I chose the guitar as my instrument for the sheer versatility of it. Only a synthesizer is capable of producing a wider variety of sounds. As such, I see no reason to artificially limit what you can do with it by sticking to a rigid structure of learning and playing. Some of the greatest guitar music ever recorded was played by people who couldn't read music and taught themselves how to play by ear. I like to try and encourage people to discover things on their own, because I've found that some of the most innovative music is written and played be people who don't know they aren't "supposed" to play it like that. I'm not trying to be insulting or imply that there is anything wrong with learning the way you did, because that would be a little hypocritical given the question I'm asking. I'm just wondering what leads to the mindset that only one way is acceptable.
Do black people in high positions with very few minorities, know they got the position by Affirmative Action?
Mostly speaking to blacks against Affirmative Action Or do you think you are one of the 1% of blacks that are actually educated and qualified?? doesn't that mean that you are being discriminatory to black people by saying only 1% of blacks or less are qualified? You are basically saying that educated and qualified black people don't exist, it's very hard to come by. Isn't that the same thing racist whites use as an excuse not to hire blacks?? when they know dang well black college graduates still till this day, rank highest in unemployment. I guess NO black people that are qualified apply (rolls eyes) to say that, is like saying, blacks are inferior to whites. LOL it's actually the other way around