Image.....One of the most controlling aspects of one's life...Now there are two ways by which one should look at this concept....One way is the "Sprite Angle" where "Image is nothing..."...Now that is all good and dandy, and it's pretty much true....To factor one's image into something is mostly aethetic...cosmetic....based on a bias and not on value....I subscribe to this belief, that image is nothing but superficial....But unfortunately, just as in the world of periodicals, most of us don't have just ONE subscription.....This brings us to the opposing arguement that, judging by the use of the word "opposing", "Image
is everything"...You see, by this stance, one feels that in order to achieve, at least when dealing with people, one must look appealing....Once again bringing notice to being superficial as the term "appealing" is employed...It's a sad state of affairs when we must resort to laws that "ensure" the employment of the Unwanted People...and that Kelly-Sue, the 6 foot blonde 3 cubicals down, just got her last raise cuz she can wrap her belt 3 times around her waist, but it takes 3 belts to wrap around her chest....Yeah, sounds funny to sum of ya'll but its true....I tell you, i heard a debate over weather or not having dreads as a hair style is proper for the office....Now, excuse and correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't dreads, braids, or any other hairstyle exactly WHAT they are?....
HAIRSTYLES....They have nothing to do with the job, nothing to with productivity, nothing to do with work ethic...In the arguement that it's "destracting to other employees"...One should take notice that, now, the fact that the employees are having probelms, and that they are "not able to concentrate on their work" means to me that, well, they have an attention situation that
they need to take care of....You see, image walks somewhat hand in hand with
the Disease of Popularity, in that, it, the ideal image, is the set combination of standards by which one must be apart of....In doing so, they are now accepting in the people's eye...and the more standards one attains the higher they are, thus making them popular, so much to the point that they begin to set the standards themselves, no matter how
seemingly ridiculous they may be....My friends, going back to the hairstyle example, it didactically shows us that they are not being persecuted so much for hairstyle, but ultimately for being unpopular, for not fitting the "Image"....My friend
Kerresha made a perfect point in drawing attention to the fact that it is too many times that people say "oh you're a good girl/boy" with that demeaning, scowling attitude....Last i checked, "Good" was good becouse "Bad" was bad....make sense?....
Now don't get me wrong, image has its advantages as well, in situations such as choosing a home, or a car....and personally, choosing a mate, but even then, the factor of image must not be confused with quality and must not be confused with ability and most certainly must not be confused with over all worth...Picture a pretty home with termites, or a beautiful Mustang with no engine, or even a GORGEOUS man/woman with no intelligence...Again, image has it's down falls...People have this need to put such importance into what they look like, and what people think they look like, that they forget to take into consideration WHO they ARE and that they should be true to themselves...
OK....Im not sure if I hit all the points, and i kinda feel like I'm loosing my thought-conveying edge....But as we reflect upon those notions that have been brought across...we see that the only way to TRULY quench our thirst for the happy harmony that we all so desire, is to treat, equally the Sprite and Anti-Sprite angles, thus allowing for a better choosing, thus allowing us to go about our business and not worry aobut what other people are doing, and finally, and most importanly, allowing ourselves to be true to ourselves....Because if you lie to others to make them THINK you're sumthimg you're not...you start to believe it, consequently lying to yourself and MAKING yourself think you're sumthing you're not....And when it's all said and done, the only truth that you have ever lived was the fact that your whole life was a lie.....