Our appearance is an important part of our lives. Although this may not be ideal, our appearance often determines what people think about us and how they treat us. Some people believe that the clothes that we wear also influence our behavior. Others disagree. In my view, they do influence our behavior for two important reasons.
First, we choose different clothes for different occasions to tell us how to behave. When you want to be fun and active you wear clothes that supports that behavior, and when you want to be serious and formal you wear different clothes. For example, when I got ready to go to work this morning, I chose to wear formal clothing; it wasn’t an accident. I wanted to wear a shirt and tie to match the kind of work I was going to do. While working, I would often find that I would be a little more serious than normal because of the way I was dressed. A tie doesn’t give you a chance to move around very easily so you are stiffer. I stood up straighter and talked with more force because of this. When I saw my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my clothes clearly indicated to me that its time to work, be serious, and focused. As you can see, the clothes that you wear do strongly impact your behavior.
Second, your clothes influence the way people treat you and the way that people treat you affects your behavior. If you wear strange clothes, people may stare or look at you as if you’re crazy. Regardless of how you feel, you will probably be a little upset or bothered by this and behave accordingly. For instance, I had a friend in high school who always wore all black clothing. I thought he was a dark, serious, depressed person. Whenever we had to work together, we would always work independently and finish quickly. I didn’t try to make conversation with him and so he became very serious with me. One day, we had to do a big project together. It lasted several days; so, everyday we had to work together. After a while, we got pretty close because I realized I was wrong about him. After that we’d always talk. I know that if I had been more open to him he would have felt more comfortable talking to me sooner. This experience taught me that the way you dress really does influence how people treat you, which affects how you behave with them.
In sum, whether your clothing’s influence is intentional because you chose it for a specific occasion or its influence is unintentional because you react to how someone else treats you, what you wear has a strong influence on how you behave. That’s why we should all choose what we wear very carefully.
Our appearance is an
important
part of our
lives
. Although this may not be ideal, our appearance
often
determines what
people
think
about us and how they
treat
us.
Some
people
believe that the
clothes
that we
wear
also
influence
our
behavior
. Others disagree. In my view, they do
influence
our
behavior
for two
important
reasons.
First
, we choose
different
clothes
for
different
occasions to
tell
us how to
behave
. When you want to be fun and active you
wear
clothes
that supports that
behavior
, and when you want to be
serious
and formal you
wear
different
clothes
.
For example
, when I
got
ready to go to
work
this morning, I chose to
wear
formal clothing; it wasn’t an accident. I wanted to
wear
a shirt and tie to match the kind of
work
I was going to do. While working, I would
often
find that I would be a
little
more
serious
than normal
because
of the way I
was dressed
. A tie doesn’t give you a chance to
move
around
very
easily
so
you are stiffer. I stood up straighter and talked with more force
because of this
. When I
saw
my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my
clothes
clearly
indicated to me that
its
time to
work
, be
serious
, and focused. As you can
see
, the
clothes
that you
wear
do
strongly
impact your behavior.
Second, your
clothes
influence
the way
people
treat
you and the way that
people
treat
you affects your
behavior
. If you
wear
strange
clothes
,
people
may stare or look at you as if you’re crazy. Regardless of how you feel, you will
probably
be a
little
upset or bothered by this and
behave
accordingly
.
For instance
, I had a friend in high school who always wore all black clothing. I
thought
he was a dark,
serious
, depressed person. Whenever we had to
work
together, we would always
work
independently
and finish
quickly
. I didn’t try to
make
conversation with
him and
so
he became
very
serious
with me. One day, we had to do a
big
project together. It lasted several days;
so
, everyday we had to
work
together. After a while, we
got
pretty close
because
I realized I was
wrong
about him.
After
that we’d always talk. I know that if I had been more open to him he would have felt more comfortable talking to me sooner. This experience taught me that the way you dress
really
does
influence
how
people
treat
you, which affects how you
behave
with them.
In sum, whether
your
clothing’s
influence
is intentional
because
you chose it for a specific occasion or its
influence
is unintentional
because
you react to how someone else
treats
you, what you
wear
has a strong
influence
on how you
behave
. That’s why we should all choose what we
wear
very
carefully
.