What is better? To appear cooler than you are? Or be cooler than you appear?

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by IamnotaMan, Jul 9, 2014.

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  1. IamnotaMan

    IamnotaMan I am Thor. On sabba-tickle. Still available via us

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    A poll is included.

    Image is important for some people. Image is everything for others.
    For others, its something in between. And some, they couldn't care less about their public image.

    I was thinking about this. It can manifest itself in different ways.
    Could be about money or career performance. It could be about more primal things like "physical impressions".

    As an example, I know a guy who's basically the "front man" for a big business. People think he owns it, but he doesn't. Infact he just has a veryf normal salary and a very fat expense account, cars, holiday villas etc at his disposal.

    Then I know the opposite, a guy who's really wealthy who drives a cheapish car, wears scruffy clothes etc. Which really perplexes me.

    Its the same, the guy who always holds big parties with masses of people, who you might think "wow, he's sooo popular". But most of them don't like him at all.

    Or in rough bars, the big bodybuilder vs the guy who's secretly some sort of Bruce Lee.

    I've always shied away from "1st impressions" and image over reality. I've always felt like its pandering to.. I dunno, ignorance of the truth over gloss. It all feels like "a cock measuring contest" as some might say. But perhaps one day I'll change.

    So whats your view of gloss vs reality?
    Better To appear cooler than you are?
    Or be cooler than you appear?
     
    IamnotaMan, Jul 9, 2014
    #1
  3. secret_thinker

    secret_thinker Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Good question.
    I'm torn between answers two and three.
     
    secret_thinker, Jul 9, 2014
    #2
  5. Karen_J

    Karen_J Visitor

    Choosing between these options is not cool. :cool:
     
    Karen_J, Jul 9, 2014
    #3
  7. Asmodean

    Asmodean Slo motion rider

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    These 2 parts in your post triggered my interest. The wealthy guy who doesn't show it off perplexes you, yet you always shied away from first impressions and image over reality? It would seem obvious that the rich guy just like you doesn't get caught up in the 'cock measuring contest'. What is so perplexing then?
     
    Asmodean, Jul 9, 2014
    #4
  9. IamnotaMan

    IamnotaMan I am Thor. On sabba-tickle. Still available via us

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    Well you could put down better ones
    And maybe show how cool you are : - / :cool:

    Its a complex topic. Maybe I'm not expanding enough.
    The very wealthy guy deliberately tries to give an impression in the opposite direction, he tries to look "poor". Maybe as his own bit of fun, maybe for other reasons. It goes beyond avoiding "cock measuring contests".
    (And no his isn't hiding from the Revenue haha)

    ________________

    To me, the topic isn't about appearance. I mean designers, media types, its ALL about impressions. Image has its whole unique energy. People build their lives around it. Thats entirely healthy, IMO.

    I think I'm trying to ask whether people look for approval from themselves, or from others first and foremost. Do they see life as realities, or more about impressions and feelings. Do they keep things to themselves, or do they like to share more aspects of their lives with everyone and anyone.

    I can think of one guy who's probably got about EIGHT personal websites, which to me, look a bit boastful, bizarre even.
    All going on about his all of achievements back 40 years or more. I find that a bit weird, given that his "England hockey team" stuff seems a bit irrelevant to his current life.
     
    IamnotaMan, Jul 9, 2014
    #5
  11. Sallysmart

    Sallysmart Raynstorm Serenade

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    I hate feeling cold so I'd rather be Hawt!
    Hahaha
     
    Sallysmart, Jul 9, 2014
    #6
  13. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    I am cooler than I appear....
    Anyone that has actually met me and knows me, will tell you the same thing, I am sure. I do not put on too many airs.
     
    Moonglow181, Jul 9, 2014
    #7
  15. Sallysmart

    Sallysmart Raynstorm Serenade

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    When I spot people who do that I tend to stay away from them.
     
    Sallysmart, Jul 9, 2014
    #8
  17. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    :cool:
     
    Tyrsonswood, Jul 9, 2014
    #9
  19. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    The standard for measuring "Coolness" is shown on the "Coolometer" (pronounced cool lom oter) developed by Professor Hubert Farnsworth and is known as the MegaFonzie.

    Prior to the discovery of the Megafonzie the standard unit had been identified as the Dean. The Dean was first found in the late fifties and early sixes to be emitted from common materials such as white T-shirts and Brylcreem. At times the emulation of Dean particles became so intense that they had to be contained within the shielding of a heavy bovine "Jacket".

    [​IMG]

    It was also later discovered that the act of rolling up a pack of LuckyStripes (LSMFT) in one of the sleeves of the T-shirt would greatly intensify the effect. This led to the banning of TV advertising of tobacco in the middle sixties.
    [​IMG]

    But as greater social/economic pressures were exerted in the world, scientist found that the theory of Dean particles no longer was sufficient to explain the theory of what constituted Coolness.
    The Dean had been based upon a local theory which postulated that Coolness would always manifest in the same way at the same time in the same local environment. But with the rise of Einstein's theories of relativity, the basic understanding of Coolness began to fragment. Digging deeper into the realm of the sub-atomic scientists found Cool properties in areas that they had never thought to look before.

    Coolness was soon found not only to be a property of a basic Dean particle, but also a wave function which could propagate throughout the universe undetected until it was collapsed by the intervention of an observer.

    As such the basic Dean was found to be nothing more than a probability wave that upon observation exhibits different "properties" based on the particular act of observation. The act of observation was found to determine the type of Dean generated.

    The concept of the MegaFonzie was introduced in an attempt to bring together the various Dean units into the Grand Unification Of Cool, or GUOF.
    We will address how this happens later on.

    But first we need to comment on two properties of the Dean.

    1. The Dean has no stable temporal element.
    When the Walkman was first introduced in 1979 it would have been found to be emitting a high rate of Deans, as measured at that time.
    However, as time has passed, any present measurement of Coolness would only show a very low number of Deans.
    In contrast, when the Aston Martin DB5 was released in 1963 it generated a high level of Deans, presently, it still generates a high Dean level.

    This leads us to conclude that the Dean is not tied directly to an observation at a particular time but that it contains an atemporal element.

    2. The intensity of the Dean is related to the observer.
    Imagine that you are driving down the road in your DB5 and you glance over into the slow lane and see a Chevy Cruz. Pretty low Dean rating you're thinking.
    But at the same time an Amish boy is riding in his buggy along the berm and he sees the Chevy Cruz. Wow, pretty cool he thinks. High Dean rating.

    Conclusion, the intensity of the Dean is related to the observer and does not have any value until the act of observation collapses the Dean wave into a Dean particle.


    The MegaFonzie is based on the principle of the Fonzarelli. The Fonzarelli was developed in an attempt to unite the two above properties.

    [​IMG]
    ​
    The MegaFonzie was discovered in the mid seventies when it was found that the Fonzarelli Princple could unite various social stigmatizations that had developed in the sixties. Scientists world wide rallied around the concept as a practical way of defining Cool on a collective basis. Note the same white T shirt, Brylcreem, and bovine shielding, but the added "SMILE" factor which allows the collapse of the Dean Wave Function (DWF) and a unification of opposing views and time spans.

    And so while the basic Dean unit is still used in a local environment, a MegaFonzie is used whenever we want to measure Coolness beyond the limits of time and the observer.

    An Aston Martin DB5 and a Walkman will register different Dean units but the same MegaFonzie units irregardless of time or the observer....or possibly the other way around.​
     
    MeAgain, Jul 9, 2014
    #10
  21. AceK

    AceK Scientia Potentia Est

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    definitely better to be cooler than you appear
     
    AceK, Jul 9, 2014
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  23. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    I like to think I don't have an image or things like that. I like to think I'm just myself, whoever that is it's just me. I'm a what you see is what you get type of person, though you see me and you won't get me at all.

    I've always been proud of my difference though. When people try and put me down in derogatory terms like I'm mentally ill or demented or something, I hold that in high regard because I see myself quite unlike most people I have met. It's good to be different from the norm, even if it does piss a lot of others off.
     
    Irminsul, Jul 9, 2014
    #12
  25. Meliai

    Meliai Members

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    I like sensible, smart, down to earth people who don't put on any airs

    All the rest can suck it
     
    Meliai, Jul 9, 2014
    #13
  27. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    What's an air?
     
    Irminsul, Jul 9, 2014
    #14
  29. AmericanTerrorist

    AmericanTerrorist Bliss

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    Airs=Facades.
     
    AmericanTerrorist, Jul 9, 2014
    #15
  31. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    Ah, cool. I like the word facade. =p
     
    Irminsul, Jul 9, 2014
    #16
  33. AmericanTerrorist

    AmericanTerrorist Bliss

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    Anyways, yea, of course it's always better to be cooler than you appear than to have an image than is greater than what you really are. Unless maybe you're some high profile person and you're making a lot of money with your image... then that's a different story.

    But for normal, ordinary people, yea... don't care about image. Got over that shit in 7th grade. The older I get the more annoyed I've become with people who walk around w a facade...esp. those who brag about things they are supposed to be soooo great at. Better to just keep your mouth shut....cause if you really got somethin goin on you don't need to talk about it. Some people will see and some won't and who gives a shit.
     
    AmericanTerrorist, Jul 9, 2014
    #17
  35. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    My outward appearance looks nothing like what's inside... Not that either is actually "cool" but impressions people get visually change once they get to know me. Many times it changes to "Wow, what a cool guy..." (or similar) Sometimes it's just the opposite and I'm an ass, a freak, or whatever.


    In the end I really don't care. I'm who I am.
     
    Tyrsonswood, Jul 9, 2014
    #18
  37. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    << Juggalette. Totally uncool person. Also gang member, allegedly.
     
    Irminsul, Jul 9, 2014
    #19
  39. Monkey Boy

    Monkey Boy Senior Member

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    I couldn't care less. I went to the store today with glue on my shirt and sawdust on my shoes.
     
    Monkey Boy, Jul 9, 2014
    #20
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