Measurements

"The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them."
- George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950, Playwright

Still in decision mode, with key choices to make. I expect that to be compounded today and I need to remember that saying yes to one means saying no to another. I guess it's a nic problem to have. My son is playing with his cousin (combined age is 7 years) - there is much discussion and decision making. Perhaps a lesson there?

This quote is not really talking about prejudice, because it the prejudgement is based on a previous knowledge of a person, rather than a generalization based on a feature. It basically highlights the habit of not updating our view of someone even when there is new information to take in. It may show up in parents not updating their view of their children as they grow up. Or in friends not updating their view of each other. Or in a married couple. The result is often predictable. There is resistance to "change".

Joe is going through some personal growth and perhaps is beginning to enjoy some success. His friends still see him as poor old Joe. They know and love poor old Joe. They have a lot of history with poor old Joe. They helped poor old Joe with his many problems and seen his many failures. They cannot see him in any other way but as poor old Joe. As he grows and transforms, they feel uneasy but do not really recognize or accept the change. They just think he is behaving strangely, or becoming a little irritating or boring. Instinctively, they try to resist him and "drag him back" to the poor old Joe that they know and love. If they are a strong group and Joe hangs out with them, it will be difficult for Joe to progress. He feels pressure to continue to fit into the old measurements, because his friends have not taken new ones.

Are we taking new measurements regularly?