Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover (part 2)
As good as we are, we are not good judges. This can at least be seen from the experimental research conducted in the event "Brain Games" di National Geographic (can be searched at youtube by title Cakes of Deception, Brain Games). In this experiment, 2 identical chocolate cakes, both in terms of ingredients, maker, and appearance, were given different prices. One chocolate cake is priced at $15 (approximately IDR 210.000,00) while the other is $55 (approximately IDR 770.000,00). Do you think there is a difference in the response of pedestrians who tasted it?
The results of the observations on the experiments carried out were, when they tasted the cheaper cakes, they felt it was less good, too dry and so on. Meanwhile, when tasting the cake which costs $55, the tasters feel that it is the best chocolate cake they have ever tasted, and must be made with quality ingredients. Tasters couldn't believe it when told that the two chocolate cakes were essentially the same. It seems that our brains are often deceived by the slight differences that arise, right?
A story in the Qur'an is more of an example that what we see and hear is often different from what it really is. QS Al Kahf: 60–82 tells about the Prophet Musa 'Peace be upon him even though they already have students, they still have to study with the Prophet Khidhr 'Peace be upon him. On his journey to gain knowledge, it is narrated that the Prophet Musa 'Peace be upon him cannot be patient and blame the actions of the Prophet Khidhr 'Peace be upon him as the teacher.
Prophet Khidhr 'Peace be upon him punched a hole in a poor fishing boat, killed a small child, and also built someone's house that nearly collapsed in a village where the people were stingy. Moses 'Peace be upon him opinion based only on what is seen and heard alone, and not based on intentions and impacts that are not and have not been seen. The reason for the actions of the Prophet Khidhr 'Peace be upon him which was considered wrong by the Prophet Musa 'Peace be upon him, described in the following QS Al Kahf: 79–82:
"As for the ark, it belonged to poor people who worked at sea, and I wanted to destroy the ark, because before them there was a king who took every one of the arks. And as for the young child, both of them are believers, and we fear that he will drive his parents into error and disbelief.. And we want their Lord to replace them with another child who is better in chastity than his son and deeper in affection (to his parents). As for the walls of the house belonged to two orphans in the city, and under it was a treasure for them both, while their father was a pious man, so your Lord wills that they should come to maturity and bring out their savings, as a mercy from your Lord; and it's not that I did it of my own accord. That is the goal of deeds that you cannot be patient with.(Surah Al Kahf: 79–82)
Both stories show that humans are not good judges. His opinion is very subjective depending on the knowledge of what is visible. Though appearances can be manipulated, and the things seen are very limited. But what happens is, in today's era, it is so easy for us to judge and judge other people, even though we have never met. Na'udzubillah, may we be kept away from such things, because we are not good judges and judges.
Author: Dr. Gancar C. Premananto*
*Coordinator of the Master of Management Study Program FEB Universitas Airlangga Surabaya
source: https://suaramuslim.net/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-2/
