It seems that just hearing a name for something often activates our mindset about the named item. Assumptions are made; judgements are made; likes and dislikes are established… even before fully understanding the named item. For example, I was recently given a plant that is known as a Chicken Gizzard plant. Wow, now that’s a name that stirs up some assumptions…

What are you thinking the plant looks like? Probably not very attractive right? Actually it is beautiful with an amazing contrast on the leaf of bright pink and green. A web site I reviewed indicated the origin of the nickname is unclear… perhaps the leaf shape is like a chicken gizzard or the color??? (Have to admit I have never seen one!)

That got me thinking about all the other items that we are unfamiliar with yet make judgements about strictly from the name. Such as a type of food or book title or training session. The name can create interest or rejection. What occurs is that our brain instantly attempts to match whatever is being heard or read with something familiar. And whatever is the closest match activates the previous mindset and reactionary behaviors based on that mindset.

The wisest approach when hearing or reading about something is to inquire for clarity and understanding about what it is specifically. I have found that a book title is great yet when exploring the summary, table of contents or even flipping through the book, the title is more interesting than the content of the book. Or a workshop title sounds boring only to discover that the content and presentation is excellent.

The next time you catch yourself assuming based on a name, stop and inquire to make sure you are open to new possibilities… That a plant named Chicken Gizzard can be attractive!

Prettier than name implies