Reading People

Physical appearance is just one of the many pieces you'll use to fit together the puzzle of someone's character. But it's a large piece, and like most, it should come with a warning: things are not always what they seem. For instance, it might be natural to assume that an obese woman who sports a brightly colored dress and a large hat adorned with ostrich feathers has a flamboyant personality. Why else would she wear such flashy clothes?

In fact, there might be several reasons. She may simply like bright colors. Or her motivation could be more complicated. People whose appearance is outside the norm tend to make other people uneasy, so they are often ignored. This woman may have chosen her outfit out of insecurity and to attract attention and comment, thus breaking through the discomfort barrier. On the other hand, some people with an unusual appearance feel self-conscious and want to be ignored. Perhaps this woman thinks loud colors will actually distract observers from her body. To her, the outfit may feel like camouflage. Or maybe the woman doesn't even like these clothes, but wears them because they're a gift from her husband. Then again, maybe she really is just flamboyant.

Not only can physical traits have more than one possible meaning, but people can also change their appearance from day to day and situation to situation.