“Her father is from Europe, and she lived in South Africa before coming here,” Robert explained. He was telling us about a young, pretty, tall, blonde girl who stood out from the rest. “Wait, did you talk to her?” I asked him with curiosity. “No, I haven’t, but people are talking about her.”

It was a typical chat for first years at the University of Dar es Salaam. We talked about girls, but also about everything else. Cars, a grumpy lecturer, a cheerful receptionist, a guard who seems like a conman, and a well-dressed class representative.

That was not just us; it is human nature. We look at everything from outside and judge. The issue of not judging by the looks we leave to God. At a very young age, I learned the power of looks. The importance of being presentable. The rule of first impressions.

I described her as a “young, pretty, tall, and blonde girl.” No one needed any explanation; everyone knew exactly who I meant. A few years later, that “young, pretty, tall, and blonde girl” became my girlfriend. 

And let me confirm to you that her father wasn’t from Europe and she never lived in South Africa. People judged her looks, actions, and lifestyle from the outside. Then, it got back to Robert, who shared it with us. People saw something, created a story, and lived with it.

Same to you; people will see you and create a story. Make sure you give them a good story to make. You will never have a chance to correct the story they make about you. And people talk; the best or worst story they can tell to someone is what goes viral (not like TikTok ways, though).

A stranger in a suit asking for directions seems more trustworthy than someone you know asking for a loan (just a joke—no one likes giving loans since they rarely come back.)

When two people come up to you, you’ll judge them differently. Their clothing and speech matter. You will run away from one and listen to the other. I don’t need to describe to you, and you’ve got your own imagination on which stranger you will give a chance to.

Now you are that stranger in people’s lives. You are nobody who comes around people. You have a choice of which group you want people to put you in. You have the power to influence people to assign you to a group they will listen to or run away from.

When you get a job, be presentable. Dress according to the job, then add your own touch too to stand out. Drive something that defines you. Treat yourself the way you would want others to treat you. Speak the way you want people to speak about you.

When you start a business, sell yourself and your product as you would love your customers to know about you. You can have a very good product, but with poor packaging and delivery, no one will take you serious. 

When you watch first impression videos of phones online, you’ll see how excited people get when they unbox their Apple products, like the iPhone or MacBook. It’s understandable because I feel the same way. Then, ask yourself if you’d ever feel that excited opening a Techno phone (no offence to Techno).

If you arrive at a first date looking unkempt, with messy hair and last week’s sweat, your chances of getting a second date drop a lot. You want to impress her or him and show that you’re clean on other days too. If you’ve met someone you like more than once and worn the same outfit each time, you know how awkward that can feel.

If you are single and acting like you are single and ready to mingle, people will approach you. But if you are single and act like you have been married for the last fifty years, people will ignore you. 

If you’re grown-up but act foolishly, people will see you as foolish. Don’t complain when they do that and go online to put quotes “don’t judge me.”

Take care of your looks; they will take care of you. People talk; you better give them something amazing to talk about. Let God keep on judging you from the inside because humans have failed.

Likely you are reading this after judging my previous post. 

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you be free from suffering.

May you find peace and joy.

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#iThinkSo

Rogers Katuma

Financial Artist, Senior Adventurer, Occasional Storyteller and an Amateur Golfer