You've all heard that society is focused on image. Every now and then some research group, institution of higher learning, or some one with too much time on their hands will come out with a study saying that people who fit a certain Image a treated better than others, get all the breaks, and get away with breaking some of the rules. Of course on the other hand, these same studies will say that people are well below this Image will actually suffer for it.
The question is not, what Image do you want to have. It's an even-money bet that you want to have "It." To fit the Image that gets people to bend over backwards for you....
But lets assume that you do not look like, Brad Pitt, you aren't loaded like Bill Gates and you don't sing like Jay Z. But we are also going to assume that you have your intellegence, some social skills and most importantly the courage to try on your side. If you have these three little common qualities, pat yourself on the back you have more than enough to make an attractive Image people will flock too.
Now having a good Image isn't just for attracting women and getting them to flop right down on your bed, couch, futton. No, having a good Image will help you on the job, with people in authority, and in general anything that requires the involvement of other people. Don't tell me you can't have just this kind of Image that helps you float right on by other people and gets you to your goal. Because if F.D.R, a man paralyized by polo, was able to convince people of that he could walk, and fake that all the way through his presidency, I think you can create an Image to and your not even in the public eye.
Step 1: "How can you not like this guy?"
Ever hear someone say that? We're you ever mistified when someone ran into a jam but due to how much people liked them the could call up favors and expend "social capitial" and viola their burden is now shared by a collective of friends, followers and that jam gets resolved real quick.
....To be liked is better than being popular.
Being popular is just asking to be brought down. Just watch the media when they their hands on a famous person in trouble. What do they do? Well they tear them down like the Berlin Wall, there is nothing the news like more than watching someone fall from grace. Remember the popular kid in school that ran into some drama or another? Five will get you ten that if the drama was big enough that they got took down a few pegs, maybe they never recovered and lost that seemingly superstar status. Its like in history, every idiot and his mother will kill, fight and die to wear the crown and rule from on high. Once they get there it's a constant fight to stay there and everyone has their eye on the prize and is just waiting to take it.
....You don't want to be the king, you want to be that Duke the king likes and will bend over backwards for when the Duke needs a hand. This is better than being a kind because the king is now your puppet.
To be liked all you need to do is have a decent sense of humor, a good listener and do the rare token good deed. Thats it and its so easy. Tell a joke or be just a little witty in a conversation. Lend someone your ear when they need it, and you should since information is power. And as for that token good deed, say someone is a buck short for a movie ticket when you are out to the movies toss him or her that buck. A dollar wouldn't get you much anyways, but the act of bailing someone out no matter how minor will get you more than the value of that dollar.
Step 2: "You should be independent, part of the group, edgey, conserved and none of the above."
I know you are all guilty of watching at least one Sitcom on TV. Ever noticed that the characters in all those shows and from shows from the past all share similiar traits. If you look real hard at these characters the are really flat, meaning they lack any real substance. In one episode they can be mean, another smitten by love, in the next caught up in some cute buffonery, and once a season a serious dramatic role. But every time the go back to being their plain and normal character at the end of the show.
....Nobody likes a boat rocker, but they do enjoy the exciting bump or two.
Seriously being a revolutionary in your own time blows. They either get hunted down, discredited or even worse copied and accepted into the mainstream only to end up being ignored. People are afraid of things they don't have a complete grasp on. People like normal so long as they can have their entertainment. Remember that stupid goth kid in school, nobody liked him because he was to dark and moody. As a result he got pushed to the side and so far isolated that he could only hang out with other goths, because in that group he was normal. It is important in your image to appear to be on the same wave-length with everyone else, that way their can be a common ground between you and everyone else.
Basically what you need to do is first, don't wear your heart on your sleeve. Being to emotional will screw you over, people won't think your stable. Nobody but you needs to know exactly what you are thinking. Giving people insight on you just asks for trouble, plus it makes you predictable and that can make you boring.(Boring is worse than being "normal") Also be sure to give people some drama and entertainment every once in a while. Everyone loves gossip, carry a little with you but don't over indulge in it. People love a little conflict, so disagree with someone when there is grounds for it. It helps you stand out temporarily while not over exposing you. Make sure that at least every now and then all attention is on you, getting people to notice you over and over again while spread it out over time will maintain a fresh positive image for you.
Step 3: "I am an Icon. Behold me in awe."
In the times when you can hold the attention of others without endangering yourself to jealous parties, its time to live larger than life. Trend setters do this all the time, they introduce something new, show it off and then inform the interested public how they too can get into this trend. The trend setters gain attention just long enough to have a following but not to long to have people schemeing to take them down, or to question why they should be the popular one. This is because trends are temporary and replaced by other trends.
....Your like a surfer. You are waiting to catch that wave, ride high and get everyone to watch you do it. But then you settle down as the wave sets. But you get to set up for the next one and ride it high too.
If you constantly keep moving with the times and for that matter find the time to rise, you can have a lot of fun. What is not fun is being stuck at the top waiting for the next person to bump you off. So why not reap the rewards of being on top and then get out as fast as you can.
Step 4: "Follow me for me!"
Nobody wants to be a sellout and give up what makes them, them. Hopefully you don't want to give up being you either. Naturally you much rather have people around that like the same things. So while you are at the top, feel free to slowly introduce people to some of your interests, humor and general attitude. As they adopt more and more of what makes you you. They will want to be you, they will follow your image. When they follow your Image that is when you can safely go from being just liked to being popular, to being the star of the show. And when people do that, that is when you can through all these little steps aside and write your own rules.
Basically the idea here is to play the game, and play it well. Over time you can slowly change the rules of the game till you are the one running the game. Sudden changes of Image like suddenly going from AFC to DJ is to obivious to a lot of people so they won't buy into you. They have to be feed change slowly, and you have to change slowly and surely in order to have a good grasp on being this new person you want to become. Its like an evolutionary process, that which moves quickly and is to radical in nature gets tossed aside. That which evolves slowly to fit its niche and the threats in its environment will thrive. Also this give you good practice at handling the top spot in a social group. You get so much practice over time that once you do make a move to finally take over the top spot for good, you will have consolidated enough power and good will and respect. That you, your reputation and social skills are not questionable, you have become a common place fixture that is both a joy and comfort to those within your social circle.
-Grey Fox
The question is not, what Image do you want to have. It's an even-money bet that you want to have "It." To fit the Image that gets people to bend over backwards for you....
But lets assume that you do not look like, Brad Pitt, you aren't loaded like Bill Gates and you don't sing like Jay Z. But we are also going to assume that you have your intellegence, some social skills and most importantly the courage to try on your side. If you have these three little common qualities, pat yourself on the back you have more than enough to make an attractive Image people will flock too.
Now having a good Image isn't just for attracting women and getting them to flop right down on your bed, couch, futton. No, having a good Image will help you on the job, with people in authority, and in general anything that requires the involvement of other people. Don't tell me you can't have just this kind of Image that helps you float right on by other people and gets you to your goal. Because if F.D.R, a man paralyized by polo, was able to convince people of that he could walk, and fake that all the way through his presidency, I think you can create an Image to and your not even in the public eye.
Step 1: "How can you not like this guy?"
Ever hear someone say that? We're you ever mistified when someone ran into a jam but due to how much people liked them the could call up favors and expend "social capitial" and viola their burden is now shared by a collective of friends, followers and that jam gets resolved real quick.
....To be liked is better than being popular.
Being popular is just asking to be brought down. Just watch the media when they their hands on a famous person in trouble. What do they do? Well they tear them down like the Berlin Wall, there is nothing the news like more than watching someone fall from grace. Remember the popular kid in school that ran into some drama or another? Five will get you ten that if the drama was big enough that they got took down a few pegs, maybe they never recovered and lost that seemingly superstar status. Its like in history, every idiot and his mother will kill, fight and die to wear the crown and rule from on high. Once they get there it's a constant fight to stay there and everyone has their eye on the prize and is just waiting to take it.
....You don't want to be the king, you want to be that Duke the king likes and will bend over backwards for when the Duke needs a hand. This is better than being a kind because the king is now your puppet.
To be liked all you need to do is have a decent sense of humor, a good listener and do the rare token good deed. Thats it and its so easy. Tell a joke or be just a little witty in a conversation. Lend someone your ear when they need it, and you should since information is power. And as for that token good deed, say someone is a buck short for a movie ticket when you are out to the movies toss him or her that buck. A dollar wouldn't get you much anyways, but the act of bailing someone out no matter how minor will get you more than the value of that dollar.
Step 2: "You should be independent, part of the group, edgey, conserved and none of the above."
I know you are all guilty of watching at least one Sitcom on TV. Ever noticed that the characters in all those shows and from shows from the past all share similiar traits. If you look real hard at these characters the are really flat, meaning they lack any real substance. In one episode they can be mean, another smitten by love, in the next caught up in some cute buffonery, and once a season a serious dramatic role. But every time the go back to being their plain and normal character at the end of the show.
....Nobody likes a boat rocker, but they do enjoy the exciting bump or two.
Seriously being a revolutionary in your own time blows. They either get hunted down, discredited or even worse copied and accepted into the mainstream only to end up being ignored. People are afraid of things they don't have a complete grasp on. People like normal so long as they can have their entertainment. Remember that stupid goth kid in school, nobody liked him because he was to dark and moody. As a result he got pushed to the side and so far isolated that he could only hang out with other goths, because in that group he was normal. It is important in your image to appear to be on the same wave-length with everyone else, that way their can be a common ground between you and everyone else.
Basically what you need to do is first, don't wear your heart on your sleeve. Being to emotional will screw you over, people won't think your stable. Nobody but you needs to know exactly what you are thinking. Giving people insight on you just asks for trouble, plus it makes you predictable and that can make you boring.(Boring is worse than being "normal") Also be sure to give people some drama and entertainment every once in a while. Everyone loves gossip, carry a little with you but don't over indulge in it. People love a little conflict, so disagree with someone when there is grounds for it. It helps you stand out temporarily while not over exposing you. Make sure that at least every now and then all attention is on you, getting people to notice you over and over again while spread it out over time will maintain a fresh positive image for you.
Step 3: "I am an Icon. Behold me in awe."
In the times when you can hold the attention of others without endangering yourself to jealous parties, its time to live larger than life. Trend setters do this all the time, they introduce something new, show it off and then inform the interested public how they too can get into this trend. The trend setters gain attention just long enough to have a following but not to long to have people schemeing to take them down, or to question why they should be the popular one. This is because trends are temporary and replaced by other trends.
....Your like a surfer. You are waiting to catch that wave, ride high and get everyone to watch you do it. But then you settle down as the wave sets. But you get to set up for the next one and ride it high too.
If you constantly keep moving with the times and for that matter find the time to rise, you can have a lot of fun. What is not fun is being stuck at the top waiting for the next person to bump you off. So why not reap the rewards of being on top and then get out as fast as you can.
Step 4: "Follow me for me!"
Nobody wants to be a sellout and give up what makes them, them. Hopefully you don't want to give up being you either. Naturally you much rather have people around that like the same things. So while you are at the top, feel free to slowly introduce people to some of your interests, humor and general attitude. As they adopt more and more of what makes you you. They will want to be you, they will follow your image. When they follow your Image that is when you can safely go from being just liked to being popular, to being the star of the show. And when people do that, that is when you can through all these little steps aside and write your own rules.
Basically the idea here is to play the game, and play it well. Over time you can slowly change the rules of the game till you are the one running the game. Sudden changes of Image like suddenly going from AFC to DJ is to obivious to a lot of people so they won't buy into you. They have to be feed change slowly, and you have to change slowly and surely in order to have a good grasp on being this new person you want to become. Its like an evolutionary process, that which moves quickly and is to radical in nature gets tossed aside. That which evolves slowly to fit its niche and the threats in its environment will thrive. Also this give you good practice at handling the top spot in a social group. You get so much practice over time that once you do make a move to finally take over the top spot for good, you will have consolidated enough power and good will and respect. That you, your reputation and social skills are not questionable, you have become a common place fixture that is both a joy and comfort to those within your social circle.
-Grey Fox
