Weeds Are Flowers Too

This was my first English I essay that I wrote.

That first meeting with a new person is always intriguing because you often know nothing about them. Therefore you look at how they dress, look, talk, and act. You take in what you’ve noticed and start to internalize it. Thus creating a first impression. You always hear about how first impressions are judgmental, even immoral, but are they really? It’s no secret everyone does it at least every once in a while. However first impressions aren’t always right; there are many sides to a person and no one is completely stereotypical.

No one is two dimensional; we are all alive with different thoughts, emotions, and personalities. Everyone is unique and complicated. This leads to different “sides” of a person. You act differently when in a formal setting than you do at home; just like how  you act differently when meeting someone for the first time than you do around close friends. This is why first impressions are never completely accurate. In the show Once Upon A Time they take our favorite fairy tale characters and stories and put them in a new perspective. Characters often have hidden motivations and “secret” personalities that are uncovered as people expose them or when people give them a chance. Even “bad guys” in the show have reasons for what they do. Many people could see themselves doing the same thing if they were in that situation. They have a likable side. As A. A. Milne said, “Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” Fairy tales, which we grew up knowing have different sides. Make sure you know the person completely, or nearly completely, before you label them a “weed.”

One thing we do when we meet someone is trying to place them in a “group” or stereotype. Are they cool? Nerdy? Artsy? Though it may describe the basic personality of a person, no one is completely stereotypical. If they were each member of the “group” would be the exact same. This is why first impressions are misleading. Troy, from High School Musical, used to be perceived as a jock who cared essentially only about basketball. What no one, even himself at first, realized was that he had a passion for musical theater. A new girl at school named Gabriella helped uncover this side of him. She accepts both sides and therefore the two become close. Just because you don’t like them initially, because they show you a side you don’t like does not mean they don’t have a side you would like.

            Simply don’t judge a book by its cover, read the pages inside. We often judge people too soon. We go with first impressions and stereotypes, but this is misleading and even hurtful. The “cover” might just be one side of the person and no one is a perfect stereotype. Prior to making judgment always make sure you know the person. You will almost always be surprised when the flower blooms in front of you when you thought it was a weed.