People are Complex
People are not objects. And yet everyday our minds are placing the objects we come across into categories or mental file folders for easy access later. Unfortunately this process often carries over to people. And since our memories are stored in an emotional context, those people-labels are usually stored within an emotional file; "Todd is kinda lazy." "Jennie is difficult." These labels are normal and natural, but without purposeful challenges, this labeling runs the risk of souring our work relationships and classrooms. Maybe Todd is kinda lazy, but he also an expert at interpersonal skills. Meanwhile Jennie is the organization's resident expert on technology. Relying unquestionably on our automatic labeling system places people into boxes that are unfair to them and us. It can even be dangerous. Colwell and Huth (both police officers) make the argument in their book, "Unleashing the Power of Unconditional Respect" that people-labeling blinds us to seeing the basic potential of all humans - to do great and terrible things. Realizing this truth about people allows us to stop treating people like predicable boxes and instead approach them with the most powerful social weapon known to humankind...Sincerity. According to Colwell and Huth the only path to sincere interactions with others is through unconditional respect for their complex humanity.
http://unleashingrespect.blogspot.com/