It is amazing how some people forget one basic lesson that most of us are taught as children, and that is not to judge a book by its cover. If you don’t get the lesson through family, it’s taught in children’s stories, schools, and TV.

But still, people either forget or ignore it. Curious children often learn this by example as they come across people whose looks may intrigue, frighten, or fascinate them. When Andy Ross made a quick trip to a local store, he caught the eye of small girl who stared at him as he walked in and made his rounds.

He understood it was partly because she was a little kid and partly because he was covered in dirt, having just come from work. No big deal. It happened that the girl and her mother wound up in front of him in the checkout line, and she was still eyeing him, prompting the mom to tell her to stop staring.

As they proceeded to leave the store, he overheard the woman say to the girl, “That is why you need to stay in school.” It was then that Ross decided to respond to the woman with a quick but direct lesson on being judgmental.

He wrote the following on Facebook about the interaction:

We think he made his point, don’t you? After sharing the post, Ross received numerous supportive comments, with some including their own stories of bias. He wasn’t alone in being in a situation where someone assumed something about him based on his appearance.

Bored Panda spoke to Ross about the encounter and he shared he just had to say something:

“I spoke up because I didn’t feel it was right for a child to believe that because you’re dirty means you’re uneducated. I know a lot of very dirty men and women and they are highly intelligent and educated.

It was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. The reaction is much more than I ever would have expected, I’ve heard many amazing stories of people who have been in similar scenarios. Very humbling to see how many people appreciate it and have shared it!”

Besides earning this guy attention for his choice words, the post also ignited a discussion about parenting. What are parents teaching their kids about how to treat others if they are being rude or judgmental themselves? It’s not wise to use others’ lives as cautionary tales if you don’t know how they’re actually living. Plus, it’s just mean.

Ross ended his lengthy post with the following notes on “Today’s Lesson”, urging people not to assume things at first glance and telling parents not to behave a certain way so their kids won’t turn out the same.

Coping with rudeness can be a challenge on its own, but dealing with snarky parents – in front of their children – can be a different animal entirely. The adults should be the ones setting the example.

How would you have handled this situation? Your thoughts on this man’s post? Have you ever encountered slick-mouthed strangers like this woman?