The epitome of not judging a book by it’s cover; or having a strong hunch that the cover spells trouble? Or sensing a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

The word ‘prejudice’ conveys ‘pre-judging’. Here’s an example. My eldest daughter said to me ‘maybe people will listen more if you wear an office shirt and suit jacket than if you wear your metal t-shirt?’.

Wikipedia says “The out-group homogeneity effect is the perception of out-group members as more similar to one another than are in-group members, e.g. “they are alike; we are diverse”.”

Add to this the interplay between the amygdala and frontal lobe in the brain. The first is an ‘instinctive’ threat detector and the second is responsible for reasoning – it can override the amygdala’s fight or flight signals.

Strangely, and I generalise here, metalheads are an outgroup that society at large seems to label as ‘threatening, uncouth, and even in league with the devil’. You wouldn’t want one to be in charge, imagine that!

However, take a metalhead, ‘clean them up’ and, give them a well-pressed shirt and neck-tie and suddenly you might be ready to take them seriously. They look like they conform now. Perhaps they are part of the in-group and we can now take an interest in what’s inside of the book.

Now you see, I have the opposite problem. It comes when I see a white man in a well-pressed shirt and neck-tie. Particularly if they are in a position of authority or hankering after one. My amygdala (I assume) shouts ‘here’s another wolf in sheep’s clothing, don’t be taken in’.

My frontal lobe (I assume) replies ‘they’re not all the same, it’s ‘just a uniform’, be sure to look inside the book’.

I suppose my up-bringing and societal norms have led my brain to associate that uniform with order and decency, with the Nolan Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership). I think this is why it (and please excuse the vulgar now following) grips my s*it when my brain says ‘this guy is wearing the uniform and giving the illusion of those associations but the reality seems very wide of the mark’. I’m being conned. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Now, I have nothing against people wanting to wear the uniform they choose, just as I like to choose mine. And I know a lot of great shirt and tie wearers.

So let’s all make a deal. Take the covers off all the books. Now the only way to tell one book from the next is to actually look inside.