ABSTRACT
T he task of judging other people presents an inherent difficulty. For the most part, any single action by another person is ambiguous in its implications, in that a variety of conclusions can be reached about that person's talents, personality, and potential. For example, suppose that Clay excitedly buys a fancy new personal digital assistant, one that sends and receives email. Does this mean that Clay is a little bit of a geek—entranced with the latest gadgets flaunted by Radio Shack? Or, instead, does it mean that he is a show-off, buying the newest and most extravagant device to one up his friends and acquaintances? Or, does it mean that Clay is so outgoing and people-oriented that he hates being out of email contact with the world even for one moment?
