Had a random thought today…  Some people are afraid of dogs, but only the ones that are notorious to attack.  People will stay on guard around a pit bull, but are probably more at ease around a Golden Retriever or a Poodle.  So, the truth is, they’re not really afraid of dogs… just the ones with a bad reputation.

Now, they actually identify a Pit Bull by it’s appearance, just as they do with a Poodle.  They can instantly tell the difference between the two just by their appearance.  They can tell their friends about a “Pit Bull” or a “Poodle” and their friends can also make this distinction between the two just by the names.

In our society, we have issues of trust between each other.  More often than not, we will identify each other based on our appearance and what we know about that kind of person and whether they seem like someone we can trust or not.  We may steer away from someone who looks like someone we have had bad experiences with before, and may very well miss an opportunity to find out that they are in fact a kind person.  Surely there’s a pit bull somewhere with the demeanor of a poodle.  But how often do you hear of a “Poodle attack” on the evening news?

We aren’t trying to just put down every pit bull we see, but they have a scary reputation.  Their reputation is based on their actions… not their appearance.  Once again… their appearance is just how we identify them.

This is what I think, and I want to know what you think.  Share your thoughts.