I'm am sure that all of you have heard the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover". Well this weekend I was told the same thing about a young man I was about to meet. This person was important to someone else in my life so I agreed to meet him. When someone tells you that prefacing the meeting of an individual...That can't be good right?
Well I've sat on the decision of what is more important in this world and today after 4 days of thought I have come to my conclusion. I base this conclusion not on what I feel is more important, but what in reality is more important. The "cover" I have decided is more important than the "book". Now I know some of you may say this is a very narrow minded and stereotypical view for myself to hold...Well it's not my opinion but the opinion of the world we live in. If it were up to me color, nor creed, nor outward appearance would mean anything but an expression of ones self or some other detail of a human life.
Unfortunately I am not the word or the way (wouldn't that be scary?). So this young man who I met, I believe is a good person and definitely falls under the book and cover analogy. He's very respectful, looked me in the eyes when he talked (very odd these days), shook my hand (also unfortunately odd), and was well spoken...BUT. His "cover" needs some work. To me it's fine, I could care less the way someone looks, even though I too am a culprit of stereotyping people, it's hard not to. For that reason and the way of the world this young man will yield his success to society until he conforms or creates a niche of conformity for himself and his image. It is a shame that a person must look like everyone else to succeed, but that's just the way it is. He has aspirations of being an architect...Let me ask you this...When is the last time you saw an architect with multiple facial piercing and a Mohawk? I'm sure he is talented and I'm sure his work is fine but a firm will not send someone to represent them with a client who looks like a candy bar for a metal detector.
In this free society we live in, every now and again we find ourselves in places without or lacking freedom. We say we have the freedom to dress, pierce or say what we want..."IT'S A FREE COUNTRY". Well that it is, and for the most part I agree (I saw a man holding a sign protesting the current government on the street the other day...Wow...We don't realize how important acts like that are) but in this free society we live in we have decided on norms that shape the way we do business and proceed with the basic functions of commerce. So live your life, express yourself, but pick your battles, maybe a clean cut image isn't the end of expression if you have sky scrapers littering the skies in the land of the free and the home of the....BRAVE!
2 comments:
You're a very good writer, Ricky. Plus, I like the fact that you understand the meaning of grammar and can spell. :) Rare, indeed!
Like 1.0 often tells me "This country is free, but success is not. If you want to succeed, you must have the ability to appear well in any company." Sound farmiliar? Just because this country is FREE doesn't mean it is FAIR. As capable as the young man in question may be, the man whose appearance is more appropiate and is just as capable as the afore mentioned will win 10 times out of 10 in the business world. Fair? Maybe, maybe not. You cannot blame the second man for appearing as society would encourage, however the first man who has made the CHOICE to appear as he does can be held accountable for his appearance. So does that mean that the first man is at a disadvantage for expressing his personality? Yes. Is that fair? No. Does anyone in the business world care? No. If you want my ultra-conservative opinion, this is just another excuse for people to say the 'Man' is holding them down.
Thank you for your time,
2.0
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