Reputation Precedes

A shy, scrawny boy sits isolated on one of the benches facing the soccer field of an all-boys' school. He is insecure about himself and uncertain about his life. He is eleven.

He is quiet and quite reserved, kept to himself, and tried to attract as little attention as he could. He isn't like the other boys. He didn't care about being the leader of the pack; the Alpha male. He didn't care about being the strongest in the class. He didn't even care about being the smartest either. He just wanted to go through secondary school unnoticed.

However, noticed was exactly what he got.

It only took one judgmental thought verbalized into one careless statement from one clueless teenager to form one lasting effect on this shy boy's life:

"Hey, faggot!"

And just like that, a reputation was born.

Reputation:

...the common opinion that people have about someone or something;

 ...the way in which people think of someone or something.

That common opinion or way of thinking of others may, in some cases, have their root in truth. People get labelled as rumormongers or drunkards or womanizers because at some point in their lives they have committed acts that have garnered them their sticky monikers. And to some degree, they deserve their reputation.

But in other cases, that common opinion or way of thinking of others may originate from falsehood and prejudice. Someone who happens to form an uninformed opinion of another's character can create a baseless reputation regardless of the target's label-worthy behavior, or lack thereof.

The inherent quality of a reputation, well-deserved or not, is that it almost always precedes the person in question. 

Mind you, it can be a good thing if the preceding renown is good. It can do wonders for someone looking to get a job or desiring to get the girl. It can be an ace up one's political sleeve come election time. A good name -- or reputation -- is far better than riches after all.

Reputation, on the other hand, can also be very negative. And it's this type of notoriety that can cast a shadow over a person's bright future, or derail their promising career trajectory. It can also put a wedge on an already crack-laden relationship once it catches up with its owner.

In both cases, a reputation is just that: a common opinion or way of thinking. Whether good or bad, someone's reputation is just a part of who they are, not the totality of their being. They may have a sleazy past rolled out before them like a red carpet, but the carpet is just something the person walks on, and not the fullness of his character. He may have already shed the stigma of his former lifestyle, and it is perhaps other people who love to constantly unfurl his notoriety in public.

Perhaps, another might have a sparkling credibility and have an impeccable social standing; but that still is not the entirety of his being. He may either be so much better than the widely-held public opinion of him; or, as one may discover, he could just be projecting a spotless image to curry favor from anyone who would succumb to the glare of his seemingly immaculate renown.

Reputation is sticky, but it isn't everything there is to know about a person. If we were to base our potential relationship with certain individuals solely on their renown or notoriety, we may either miss out on getting to know very unique and special individuals, or we could get seriously misled by someone's manufactured charisma.

Big reputation. We all have it; either fame or shame. Our challenge is to move past ours... and to see past others'.