No joking, didn’t Shrek have a lovely face? Really. It’s in the contours and curves.

I reckon most if not all of us didn’t judge Shrek by his appearances. Some characters in the movie did, though. He’s feared for all the wrong things about his appearance.

No one likes to be judged skin deep as the measure of one’s worth. In the medieval set family fantasy, the animated film Shrek (2001) and sequels, Shrek is often feared because he is an ogre.

But it seems he does not care about what people say and do. Maybe he buries the hurt and rejection.

That was then. In those days, in medieval legend or myth, ogres were relegated in social status. They were despised. Hence, the movie Shrek reflects this.

These days, I reckon that people think the best and if necessary give one another the benefit of any doubt. We are more willing to suspend disbelief.

Today’s world

People like to think the best about someone they just had a conversation with.  There may be quibbles here and there, but overall, there’s a belief to think the best about someone. Besides, we don’t really know what a person is like. He or she may be the best person in the world.

This is certainly a healthy way to think about people.

Though Shrek’s set long ago, the movie makers know the audience they are catering to lives in the current century. So, they put this believing the best in people to bear on the medieval setting. Shrek isn’t just a bad ogre. He’s a multi-layered personality with a heart of gold.

That’s what good about living in this century. People aren’t judged by appearances. There’s a kindly affection for one another even.

We have moved on from the medieval setting and now people are unlikely to judge a person based on their hair color, their facial features, or their ability or lack of it, and other flaws that were from another century.