I like people, most of the time. I really do. But I'm one for whom first impressions mean a lot. Not that I do a good job always presenting my own best first impression (see: sloppy dresser), yet I quickly judge people based on a few things they do or say. It's not always fair, but my respect for people quickly jump up or down based on certain things. Based on certain things, my respect for somebody will instantly go up or down based on little things I sense. Here's a short list, and none of these are mutually exclusive. In other words, multiple transgressions/goodnesses add up to give somebody a respect-ability quotient in my eyes.
Thinking you can't have fun without alcohol: decrease of respect 9%
Being a farmer: increase 16%
Being a part-time farmer, doing it while working another job to support the farm: increase 23%
Wearing a 'tapout' t-shirt: decrease 7%
Smoking: decrease 14%
Morbid obesity: decrease 6%
Non-visible tattoos: decrease 2%
Visible tattoos: decrease 12%
Neck tattoos: decrease 28%
Beginning a sentence with "I saw on Fox News that ...": decrease 13%
Beginning a sentence with "I heard Rush Limbaugh say ...": decrease 42%
Beginning a sentence with "I read in the Economist that ...": increase 11%
Being a vegetarian: increase 4%
Being passionate about bacon: increase 10%
Being at a sports event and screaming at the officials: decrease 7%
Swearing at the TV because your team is getting beat: decrease 4%
Going nuts about a college sports team when you did not attend that college: decrease 11%
A woman who wears too much makeup: decrease 2%, feeling sorry for, increase of 15%
Having a ringtone of a Toby Keith song on your phone: decrease 3%
Knowing the difference between its and it's: increase 8%
Making less than $10/hour but still loving what you do: increase 13%
Bow-hunting or fly-fishing: increase 14%
Doing mission work for the Lord in a foreign country: increase 50%
Being from a non-Bible belt area but choosing to do ministerial work in the Bible belt: decrease 10%
Living your entire life no more than 10 miles from where you grew up: decrease 3%
Moving away for a few years to experience a new way of life: increase 5%
Moving back to within 10 miles from where you grew up after being away for a few years: increase 5%
Making your own clothes: increase 11%
Having no clothing that does not contain corporate logos: decrease 8%
