I was looking for a flexible spatula to get the last bits of smoothie out from the blender jug. I reached for one in my utensil jar and immediately thought “I can’t use that; that’s the silicone spatula for hot stuff“, instead of realizing that it was a general purpose spatula that just happens to be useable with heat. I had mistakenly pigeonholed a kitchen utensil. I realized that this often happens with people. You see someone in one setting or in one stage of their life and that’s how you think of them. I worry about that when giving and being the subject of job references. It can be difficult for people who’ve worked with you at some point in your career to change their minds about you and realize you’ve grown unless you get the chance to change their mind over time. Or if you know someone through reputation or have only seen them in meetings and had a biased or narrow view of how they operate, you may mistakenly think they are not effective. It’s best to not be so righteous about what you know about someone unless you are certain your information is current and correct. But you do want to make sure you have the right tool for the job.