In 1894, a French military officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was wrongly accused of passing secrets to the Imperial German Army. With Anti-Semitic tendencies rampant in French society, Dreyfus’ Jewish heritage made him an easy target.
When Dreyfus stood before the jury, his calm but colorless tone was interpreted as guilt. Despite his innocence, Dreyfus was condemned to life imprisonment and publicly dishonorably discharged from the military. Even during the discharge ceremony, onlookers interpreted Dreyfus’ stoic demeanor as further proof of his guilt.
The truth soon emerged and Dreyfus’ innocence was proven, but not until after he spent three grueling years in exile. The lesson of the Dreyfus Affair? People will take the slightest emotional cues - tone of voice, for instance - and use that information jump to conclusions that support their preconceived notions.