Lanzarote, Canary Islands
First night, not feeling too well and while I was sitting taking some great gulps of fresh air, I observed the people as they walked past idly imagining things about them. Half consciously I imagined whether I liked them or not, just from appearances. I saw two women, maybe around fifty and quite fit. I immediatley assumed they were english - and I liked them.
(At this stage I was hardly aware I was even on a spanish-speaking island as I'd only heard english, german and french spoken.)
When I heard the women speaking German, I suddenly saw them as back-to-nature, obsessive german-types (a whole stereotype I have that comes from one strand of the Nazi movement, where Nature was prized and Culture was degenerate and there was a whole emphasis on camping and tough outdoor pursuits... and naturism at the very beginning... This is v relevent coz there's loads of naturists on Lanzarote that I also assumed were german... or not english, anyway)
The thing that I very quickly realised, even through my nausea, was that I could find something attractive in a person I liked, or imagined liking, but the same thing repellent in a person I imagine hating. Because I went from like to hate in a matter of a split second and then only briefly, I realised (again) how I seek evidence for what I already think. I fit observations to already established theories. Observations come with an emotional flavour.
When I imagined liking these women, I saw them as strong and fit. When I imagined hating them I saw them as unnaturally obsessive about fitness pursuits. Same observation, different impression.