The innate nature of man is "flight or fight" sight sound feel touch smell work on a continuum and are changed and reinforced with experiences. My life's work taught me that first impressions did influence me and if I was to remain objective in my work I needed to test those first impressions.
My friends and I grew up influenced by those clean cut collegiate types sharps creases in our slacks izod shirts white and black saddles, etc. We rejected the black leather jacket long side burn types.
It came as a pleasant surprise when a personal situation brought me in contact with a black guy with braids tats, piercings. I found the guy to be genuine kind ,considerate, intelligent. We embraced after this encounter
Yet i agree if you saw that guy in an alley way you would have been quite concerned for your safety and the flight/fight stimulus would have kicked in
As a 15 year old I would walk across a railroad bridge nightly to my now wife's home. In the thick of the greenery were hobo's . I got in the habit of stopping to talk with them and sharing my cigarettes. One night John one of the hobo's I knew best confronted me his eyes burned bright red and I knew it meant danger. I had to thread my way over the train track to escape John. John was found two months later floating face down in the canal below these train tracks
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