Hat
You know, I had a very close male friend in college who was very fond of being "properly dressed" all the time. And I do mean ALL THE TIME. People would make fun of him for wearing pressed pants and French cuffs every day, and a fedora when he went out. I always wondered what it is in people that would compel them to make fun of someone for looking spiffy.
A few years back, I was in Texas. While there, I bought a really cool cowboy hat. I had no good way to carry it home except to wear it. In the Dallas airport, I was ignored, as my attire was de rigueur. Once I got into Pittsburgh, though, I got stares, and one guy found it necessary to mock me by saying, as I waited for my luggage, in toothy redneck-ese, "Well, I reckon we're in for a cool snap." He laughed right at me and clearly thought he was the cleverest man since Shakespeare, and so did the bimbo on his arm. This from a guy who was wearing a leather jacket with billiard balls on the back. Beside the point, I was forced to respond in perfect Pittsburghese, "What kinda jagoffs are yinz anyway?" Then in upper-crusty English accent, "It's just a hat, for heaven's sake. Do, get a life for yourself." Not a witty retort, I realize, but it certainly shut him up. I think I confused him. Dick.
One other time, my friend and I went to Metropol (a formerly-cool Pittsburgh night club)and she wore a hat that she had bought at a thrift store. It was clearly vintage and had a very cool 40's vibe. Back in the day, Metropol was a place where you could express yourself with strange garment decisions, and nobody would be bothered by it. But by then, it had turned into a backwards-hat-fraternity-asshole paradise. These stupid walking beer bongs had no idea what the music was even about, and the cool punkers had moved on. So anyway, the hat got stares and a few mean comments.
And so, I put it out there: Why are folks so threatened by someone who can boldly be different? Why would people judge you by your hat? Does this make any sense at all? And furthermore, why is the baseball cap the only legal hat these days? I like hats and I want to wear them all the time. Can we all just please wear hats? Do I need to create a national holiday? I have many cool hats and I'm afraid of wearing them.
So that's it. National Hat Week. I'll figure out the dates and create a button if you will all vow to be chapeau-ed. Wheeeee!
A few years back, I was in Texas. While there, I bought a really cool cowboy hat. I had no good way to carry it home except to wear it. In the Dallas airport, I was ignored, as my attire was de rigueur. Once I got into Pittsburgh, though, I got stares, and one guy found it necessary to mock me by saying, as I waited for my luggage, in toothy redneck-ese, "Well, I reckon we're in for a cool snap." He laughed right at me and clearly thought he was the cleverest man since Shakespeare, and so did the bimbo on his arm. This from a guy who was wearing a leather jacket with billiard balls on the back. Beside the point, I was forced to respond in perfect Pittsburghese, "What kinda jagoffs are yinz anyway?" Then in upper-crusty English accent, "It's just a hat, for heaven's sake. Do, get a life for yourself." Not a witty retort, I realize, but it certainly shut him up. I think I confused him. Dick.
One other time, my friend and I went to Metropol (a formerly-cool Pittsburgh night club)and she wore a hat that she had bought at a thrift store. It was clearly vintage and had a very cool 40's vibe. Back in the day, Metropol was a place where you could express yourself with strange garment decisions, and nobody would be bothered by it. But by then, it had turned into a backwards-hat-fraternity-asshole paradise. These stupid walking beer bongs had no idea what the music was even about, and the cool punkers had moved on. So anyway, the hat got stares and a few mean comments.
And so, I put it out there: Why are folks so threatened by someone who can boldly be different? Why would people judge you by your hat? Does this make any sense at all? And furthermore, why is the baseball cap the only legal hat these days? I like hats and I want to wear them all the time. Can we all just please wear hats? Do I need to create a national holiday? I have many cool hats and I'm afraid of wearing them.
So that's it. National Hat Week. I'll figure out the dates and create a button if you will all vow to be chapeau-ed. Wheeeee!
posted by Kristine at 10:26 AM
6 Comments:
It all goes back to the old N/S dynamic of the MBTI test. Sensors are bound by tradition. Intuitives are not. Sensors make up 85% of the population. When a Sensor isn't exposed regularly excentricities, their natural response is to cringe away from anything outside of the ordinary. Those sensors who are either ESTJs and must control EVERYTHING in the world around them will often verbally put down the offender who is bothering them by their very existance. Other Sensors will do this in order to be seen as "cool" by their friends or the odd bimbo hanging on their arms. Sensors are generally ruled by pack mentality. Whereas Intuitives are much more individualistic... and usually smarter. Intuitives exist "outside the box".
If you want to see what you are, take the test here:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
*Name Hidden*, resident INTP.
NH, I don't really feel like giving people so much credit. I'm not willing to endorse a theory which takes this behavior out of the hands of the offenders. I think people are threatened, and that shows a willing weakness of mind. But then, you could be right. ha ha ha If people would look to themselves and solve their own damn problems, then there would be no meanness of this kind. I HATE MEAN PEOPLE.
PS. That's the test I took. Well, one of them. I am distinctly INTJ, J being my weakest attribute.
I see it more as classifying behavior rather than making excuses. For Sensors, freaking out over things that are different is their natural state of existance and they have to make an effort to be open minded.
They view us the same way. I had a sensor once tell me that I was using "being an intuitive" as an excuse for my weird behavior, and that I could be normal if I tried. My response was why would I want to be normal if it meant being closed minded and judgemental. Big fight insued afterwards. Heh heh.
If I'm in a confrontational mood, when someone mocks me for doing / wearing something / being different, my response is usually along the lines of "If I wanted any sh*t from you, I would have squeezed your head."
I know I'm weird. While I don't flaunt it, I also don't hide it. Just remember, if someone else has a problem with you, it is they who have the problem.
Ick, I hate guys who make fun of others to impress their chick.
Wow, NH, that 85% statistic seems so accurate, especially when you think about it in terms of high school. Our school had about 15% of the school who were individualistic and 85% who were drones. Very interesting.
I'd wear a hat on any day you deem hat day, Kristine. But then, do we have to follow hat etiquette? Is one allowed to wear a hat indoors?
On hat day, you may wear your hat at all times. This is especially true for ladies. Gentlemen must only remove them when eating.
I'll let you know when Hat Day will be. ha ha
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