Appearance Quote by Michael Lewis
“The inability to envision a certain kind of person doing a certain kind of thing because you've never seen someone who looks like him do it before is not just a vice. It's a luxury. What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a market inefficiency: when you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by their appearance, you are less likely to find the best person for the job.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis, 2018
Limiting hiring based on appearance narrows talent pools, creating market inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
In simple terms: Bias in hiring reduces talent and efficiency.
Key Takeaway
Challenge appearance-based hiring biases.
Themes
bias
employment
diversity
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- recruitment
- HR policies
- talent acquisition
- inclusion training
Key Concepts
human capital
market efficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- How can organizations broaden their view of candidate potential?
- What systems prevent overlooking talent?
A Different Perspective
May underestimate other forms of bias beyond appearance.
![“Crucial decisions are made, today as thousands of years ago, in terms of the intuitive guesses and preferences of a few men in positions of authority...[it is] quite likely that the fate of entire societies may be sealed by a series of avoidable mistakes committed by their leaders.” quote by Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a59/michael-lewis-705_decision-making_crucial-decisions-are-made-today-as-thou_16888.jpg)
