If there’s one trap human beings fall into, it’s judging a book by its cover. In the absence of information, people fill in the gaps themselves—guided not by facts, but by instinct. When it comes to erroneously labeling someone, there's a particular character trait that people get wrong nearly all the time. I know this firsthand because I was often assigned the label when I was younger, much to my chagrin.  I can't say I blame them. I mean, after all, they're forming their judgment based on outward appearance--gestures, enthusiasm, verbosity. Unfortunately, though, if they never come to know the person well, they will carry on believing they were right on the money.  The problem comes when the person starts disseminating that flimsy information. Before you know it, everyone at, say, the office perceives you as being a certain way--the wrong way-- and it can build resentment. Rumors spread like wildfire, and it's very difficult to break a perception people have of you, w...