A Johari Window Moment

So thirteen years ago I learned, from a now deceased friend, about something called a Johari Window. Side note, I have been writing publicly for quite some time. One of the interesting things about the Johari Window is that it allows you to uncover blind spots and see one’s self as others perceive you.

Mostly I think I am fairly self-aware, and that I see myself clearly. I am rarely surprised by other people’s perceptions. And while there might be some perceptions that I’m working to soften, generally my self view and the view of others align pretty well. Tonight was different. And I’m still laughing about the experience and wondering how common it is.

So my hot yoga studio is doing their annual month of October “challenge.” The challenge goal is to go daily, or hit some number of classes for the month. If you attend a certain number of classes in the month there is generally a prize. This year it’s 26 classes for a studio branded water bottle. Generally I attend fewer classes during challenge month (it’s chaos) but this year, I’m striving for the prize. I’ve been doing weekend doubles to try to get to at least 26 classes by month end. Today is October 21, and I have attended 21 classes (4 days with doubles so far this month! whew!), so I’m fairly confident that I’ll get the prize at the end. Let’s be clear 26 classes in 31 days is a modest aspiration. Some folks are on target for 45 or 50 for the month. This was for context, I’m going to hot yoga, a lot, slightly more than normal this month (I’m generally more 4 to 5 times a week).

So at hot yoga this evening, a person I know by first name (the instructors always call us out by name, and year after year it’s pretty easy to associate a name with a compliment/bit of feedback), pulled his yoga mat up to mine and whispered (the studio is generally a zero talking zone to be respectful to others) to ask me what I did for work. So, I told him (currently in government IT, formerly in higher ed biomedical research). And he started laughing. He definitely didn’t see me in the geek league.

Apparently based on my “intensity” in class, he’d decided that I must be in law enforcement, surely a police officer or detective or something. I might like like to watch crime drama while working out, but never considered it for a career path. I completely did not realize that I’d been giving off that vibe. Sure, I know my personal space is bigger than others, but this comment/perception of me was completely unexpected.

Where are your blind spots?