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Do you know what it feels like to be judged? To know that no matter how hard you try to be who you are, someone is scrutinizing your every move, looking at you from head to toe and forming an opinion about you? I have, and let me tell you, it SUCKS. No matter how you look at it, the fact remains that people are judged each and every day whether it be by their outfit, popularity, ethnicity, gender, or even hair color. People form an opinion about you from the moment they meet you and as hard as you may try to change it, oftentimes it is not possible to change what people think. The age-old expression, don’t judge a book by its cover is more often ignored than followed in modern society. Virtually each and every individual is judged in some way whether it be through media, peers, or adults. Fashion’s best and worst dressed, who wore it better, and fashion police dictate whether celebrities are put on the Hot Or Not list of the weekly tabloid, or whether they receive that cover spot on the newest Seventeen Magazine. It is almost impossible for a celebrity to go out, hair unkept and face unmade, without facing the endless scrutiny of the media. Our peers label us by the designers we wear, the people we talk to, and the amount of money we have. Those who don’t follow the fashion trends or don’t keep up with the fast crowd are considered outcasts. Homosexuals are often made fun of and considered “freaks” simply because they fall outside of the accepted “social norm”. Those who practice certain religions, or perhaps don’t practice any, are given certain stereotypes and treated differently because of their beliefs. Students who do not get straight A’s or who do not test well are considered “dumb” by teachers and expected to fail. Unfortunately, these days judgement is a social norm. It has become human nature to place people in categories. Truthfully, I too, am guilty of stereotyping. It is more common than uncommon in our society, but it does not change the fact that judgement destroys people’s self-esteem and needs to be stopped.