No matter how great we are, we are not good judges. This can at least be seen from experimental research carried out in the "Brains Games" on National Geography (can be searched on YouTube under the title Cakes of Deception, Brain Games ). In this experiment, 2 chocolate cakes that were identical, both in terms of ingredients, maker and appearance, were given different prices. One chocolate cake is priced at $15 (around Rp. 210,000.00) while the other is $55 (around Rp. 770,000.00). Do you think there is a difference in the response of pedestrians who taste it?
The results of observations of the experiments carried out were that, when they tasted cheaper cakes, they felt that they tasted less delicious, were too dry and so on. Meanwhile, when they tasted the $55 cake, the tasters felt that it was the most delicious chocolate cake they had ever tasted, and it was definitely made with quality ingredients. Tasters were incredulous when told that both chocolate cakes were essentially the same. It seems that our brains are often fooled by the slight differences that appear, right?
A story in the Koran further provides an example that what we see and hear is often different from the true nature. QS Al Kahf: 60–82 tells the story of Prophet Musa 'alaihissalam , who even though he had students, still had to learn from Prophet Khidhr 'alaihissalam . On his journey to gain knowledge, it is said that Prophet Musa 'alaihissalam could not be patient and blamed the actions of Prophet Khidhr 'alaihissalam as the teacher.
Prophet Khidhr 'alaihissalam made holes in poor fishermen's boats, killed small children, and also built someone's house which almost collapsed in a village where the residents were stingy. Prophet Musa 'alaihissalam argued only based on what he saw and heard, and not based on intentions and impacts that were not and have not been seen. The reasons for Prophet Khidhr 'alaihissalam's which were considered wrong by Prophet Musa 'alaihissalam , are explained in QS Al Kahf: 79–82 as follows:
" The ark belonged to the poor people who worked at sea, and I aimed to destroy the ark, because in front of them there was a king who took every ark. And as for that young man, both of them are believers, and we are afraid that he will push his parents to error and disbelief . And we will that their Lord replace them with another child whose purity is better than that child and deeper in love (to his mother and father). As for the wall of the house, it belongs to two orphans in the city, and beneath it there is wealth stored for both of them, while the father is a pious man, so your Lord willed that they reach maturity and take out their savings, as a mercy from your Lord; and I didn't do it according to my own will. That is the goal of actions that you cannot be patient with. ” (QS Al Kahf: 79–82)
Both stories show that humans are not good judges. His opinion is very subjective depending on knowledge of what is visible. Even though appearances can be manipulated, and the things that are visible are very limited. But what happens is, in the current era, it is so easy for us to judge and judge other people, even though we have never met them. Na'udzubillah , hopefully we will 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://puasmuslim.net/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-2/
