I was talking to my wife the other day about misconceptions—how easy it is to misunderstand people, judge them too quickly, and not really consider any other possibilities.
We all do it.
First impressions are something we rely on every day, whether we realise it or not.
First Impressions Happen Instantly
You could be walking down the street and see someone heading towards you who looks a bit rough, maybe even a bit angry.
What do you do?
Chances are, you cross the road.
Why? Because you assume they might be trouble.
In reality, they could just be having a bad day. They might work in an office, be a police officer, or yes—maybe they are someone you’d want to avoid. The point is, you don’t know.
But you don’t take the risk.
And to be fair, that instinct probably keeps you out of trouble more often than not.
When Judgement Goes Too Far
That kind of quick judgement can be useful in certain situations—but what about everyday life?
Take something like a job interview.
Someone walks in looking a bit scruffy, like they haven’t really made the effort. Straight away, you start forming an opinion. You might assume they’re disorganised or a bit careless.
Even if they interview well, that first impression sticks.
Now, some people would argue that appearance shouldn’t matter—that they could still do a great job.
But realistically, are you going to take that chance?
Probably not.
My Own Musical Misconception
And this brings me to my own little story.
When I was about 14, I decided to take music as one of my GCSE subjects. I’d been playing the piano on and off for around five years, and I was a decent player for my age—but hardly anyone at school knew that.
To be honest, my main interest back then was sport. If it was lunchtime, I was either playing football or tennis, no matter the weather.
I also didn’t exactly hang around with the most academic crowd. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I was definitely more of a joker than anything else—and I probably spent more time making people laugh than doing any real work.
So playing the piano wasn’t exactly something I went around advertising.
The Music Block
At school, we had a separate music building—the “music block”—which was pretty much off-limits unless you had a lesson or were studying music.
Once I chose music for GCSE, I suddenly had full access.
So naturally… I decided to have a bit of fun with it.
The “Practical Joke”
One day, I brought a couple of my mates over to the music block. They had no idea I could play the piano, and I thought it would be funny to walk in, sit down, and surprise them.
As it turned out, there were quite a few people in there at the time—mostly the kind of students I didn’t really get on with (and if I’m honest, probably took the mick out of more than I should have).
So I walked in.
Straight away, people started looking. A few even told me to get out, assuming I wasn’t meant to be there and was up to no good.
Which, in fairness… was a reasonable assumption given my reputation.
The Moment of Truth
I made my way over to the piano, lifted the lid, and started randomly hitting keys—just to play along with the act.
Then, just as things were about to escalate, I started playing properly.
I can’t remember exactly what I played, but it was enough.
Everything changed in that moment.
The people who were about to throw me out suddenly backed off, and my mates outside the window were just as surprised.
What Changed… and What Didn’t
After that, I didn’t get any more grief for being in the music block.
But at the same time, nothing really changed either.
I was still seen as the class joker—just one who happened to be able to play the piano.
So What’s the Point?
There’s not a massive life lesson here, if I’m honest.
You could say they shouldn’t have judged me—but realistically, I’d given them every reason to.
On most other days, I probably would have been messing about.
That said, I do remember there being a bit of an attitude from some people in there—like they were somehow better because they played an instrument and were part of the music crowd.
So maybe it worked both ways.
They judged me, I judged them… and for once, I managed to prove them wrong.
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