Whatever happened to style? Now, this does not have to suggest elegant clothes nor a magnificent car. It is about your personal brand – your personal élan. Why do people seem to have so little of it – why has society become so bland? I relate it to an overabundance of information. In contemporary society, it is hard to choose “a look” or a position — especially when you are young. This is because we are drowning in a myriad of looks, tastes, and fashions. The “non-look” has thus become the new reality.
There was a point in more traditional times that the exterior content mirrored the image that the person nurtured on the inside. Let us say an elegant woman, for example. She had a certain panache that you noticed from distance and when she engaged you in conversation, your first impression if you could call it that was only reinforced. This is especially true of monks, I find. I once spoke to a reincarnated master (1) in Sikkim, India. He had an inner joviality that protruded out into his physical appearance. It was as if to say, I have discovered the secret to the universe. I found the whole experience quite profound.
We live in dangerous times in regards to understanding our corporeality (2). It mirrors how I think on the inside of my being. In contemporary society, however, I suspect that many young people – and old people, for that matter – spend little to no time reflecting on why I am here and where am I going — what is my mission in life? What is even more concerning is that many people do not even formulate this question – terrifying isn’t it? If you do not practice the skill of critical thinking, which is what this entire mission “essence” is generated from, you end up in a compliant, non-thinking society (ponder recent events in world politics).
I had a cup of tea with a friend of mine the other day. Beside us, there was an attractive young woman who was literally riddled with tattoos. Where was the parent or friend to talk to before she defaced her body and predetermined her social class at such a young age? That person wasn’t there because they also had no style. We cannot just “let this go.” Our job as human beings is to make the world a better place is it not? We then must get down to work. Why not rebel against conformity and encourage society to get a little verve? How do we do this? It all begins with the self.
When I change “how I see the world,” I present a model of living that can be emulated by others. Think of the great positive icons in history. They were respected for their historical statement – Florence Nightingale (1829-1910), Tolstoy (1847-1910), Gandhi (1869-1948), JFK (1917-1963), and Martin Luther King (1929-1987) to name but a few. Each of us can make our own personal statement by the way we live our life. Our individual style is therefore conjoined with others and it becomes a torrent of greatness in a sea of constructive growth in our society. Taiwanese-American fashion designer, Alexander Wang (b. 1983) leaves us with a thought: Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that is the most intriguing.
A closing thought: We all have a natural style, I believe. Nonetheless, much like any athletic training, it must be honed. This is true of any body type. Everyone’s inner beauty can be presented in the exterior world if so desired. What we see now many times is just confusion. There is no cohesive inner affirmation to be presented. All of the statements – personal power, self-esteem, self-image, etc., only adumbrate the individual’s personal journey. If we think of the Dalai Lama (b. 1935), for instance, we think of a deep understanding of reality and of personal peace. All of us have this strength; we only need the will to get on the pathway to experience the journey to self-realization.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about achieving our personal style. It is simply a matter of deciding to undertake the odyssey.
To be noted: From Aristotle (3) — A good style must, first of all, be clear. It must not be mean or above the dignity of the subject. It must be appropriate.
Just for fun: Julia Fischer – Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic
For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYnxRYAHmEs
This week on your reflective walk, please think of how you can improve your own personal style.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful
Quote: I am fully responsible for my personal image – the way I am seen in the world.
Footnotes:
1) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tibetan-Buddhism