Man mistakes urinal and urinal cake for sink and soap

If you’re going to make a mistake, don’t make it on video. I have to wonder why he never stopped to look for the faucets. I admit I felt sorry for him - mostly because now his face will become famous and he’ll be known as the guy who washed his hands in a urinal.

So why is this worthy of a post? Because of the power of visuals. We are so conditioned to visual cues - ie. a trough and “cakes” of blue something that looked like soap, that we react without thinking. Even though I’m sure his sense of smell and other cues alerted him to the fact this was indeed not what it appeared to be, he went forward anyway. I’m stunned by how the brain can play these tricks on us all. Maybe not in such obvious ways - but there are times, admit it, that you assume a person who looks a certain way or acts a certain way IS a certain way. The things that come to mind are “mentally ill.” Or “Special needs.” For years people avoided people who had cancer because they believed it was contagious.

I met the wife of a friend of mine last summer. She had never seen my photo or any video of me. Her husband told her they would be having lunch with a formerly homeless person. When she met me the shock on her face was obvious. She stared for a few minutes and then said, “But you look so healthy. You’re so intelligent.” I had totally blown her preconception of what a homeless person looks like. We laughed, but for me it re-enforced the reality that we almost operate on auto-pilot when it comes to how we see the world. Stop and be in the moment. Think. Listen. Pay attention to the visual cues you’re getting. You may not notice any difference, but I can guarantee this gentleman will never repeat this mistake again.