Since time immemorial, we have been trying to figure out the measure of a man. Sometimes we say things like, “The clothes don’t make the man.” Of course, that just begs the question, what does make the man?
It is a deep, philosophical question with no answer. That fact doesn’t stop us from trying. It is natural and even healthy to try one’s best to understand who we are and what we are – that, and our place in the universe. It is existential at its root.
Part of that exploration has to do with materiality. Are there external items we can possess that make us more of the thing we ought to be? No! That said, Yes! It’s complicated.
Well-Maintained
It might not be fair. But men are judged by how well-maintained they are, and everything they possess. It is not terribly important that you drive an expensive car. What matters is how well you maintain the one you have. If your car is full of dents and scratches, and has other obvious signs that it needs body work. you are probably not going to get into that posh, San Diego club.
First, get some body work done at a San Diego collision repair shop and do the basic things to make it look like you take care of the things you have, and that you care about how those things make you look. It is not about being superficial. It is about being a fully vested member of the human race. It is not about what you have or how much you paid. It is about how you treat it.
They’re Wrong About the Clothes
Actually, clothes do kind of make the man. Here, again, it is not so much about the brand of clothes or how much you spent for them. It is more about how they fit and how they make you look. It also speaks to whether you respect yourself and others.
A good suit says something about the wearer. The first thing it says is that you have self-respect. You look your best in the context of whatever setting you are in because you deserve your best. It also says that you respect the people you are around and the occasion you are attending. You don’t just show up with whatever covers your nakedness. You arrive with respect for yourself and the people around you.
Your Watch Speaks Volumes
Should you go with the $700 Apple Watch? Or should you spend the same money on a more traditional chronometer? It largely depends on what you want to say about yourself. One thing is certain: Like it or not, your watch will say something about you. So be sure you are in control of the message.
A mechanical watch might suggest you are a traditional person who is tied to the past. You are a product of old money and traditional ways of thinking. It might also suggest that you are out of touch or pretentious. If you want to display a symbol of success, a $700 mechanical watch might say the opposite. You are playing in a very high-end arena. You think you have arrived. But watch people will quickly peg you as an amateur. $700 screams entry-level. You are not a real power broker.
A $700 Apple Watch might not help, either. You bought an overpriced smartwatch that will be obsolete in a couple years worth of software upgrades. You would have looked smarter getting the $399 version. Hope that small splash of shiny metal was worth it.
All of this is incredibly judgey. Then again, you are strapping these expensive items to your wrist for all to see. This is not advice on what, if anything, you should put on your wrist. But if you are spending more than $20, you have a goal that goes beyond utility. You are making a statement. Be sure it is the right one.
Can any of these things really define who you are as a person. Of course not! Also, Absolutely! How well you maintain your possessions, what you wear, and the accessories you display can tell an interviewer as much about you as your resume.
