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comment by illu45
illu45  ·  4878 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Dressing The Part (or not) in Academia
I agree, it does seem like a bit of displacement of responsibility. That said, I think there is some truth to the idea that, if your teachers/mentors look successful, you will also try to look successful in emulating them.

I suppose in many ways this is a bit of an empty article. The author really just seems to be saying that dressing up gets people to respect you more, which seems pretty common-sensical. That said, I did find his exploration as to why academics dressed so 'frumpily' to be an interesting one.





muppet  ·  4534 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I agree, it does seem like a bit of displacement of responsibility. That said, I think there is some truth to the idea that, if your teachers/mentors look successful, you will also try to look successful in emulating them. There is no doubt that professors can become people that students "look up to" and in doing this, they are likely to emulate them not just in their intellectual pursuits but also in their personal habits. So yes, they may have an impact on how you look and therefore, how you feel and perform. Valid point.
muppet  ·  4534 days ago  ·  link  ·  
This comment has been deleted.
thenewgreen  ·  4878 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I think that by dressing in a more formal manner, the students get the impression that the professor is serious about what he/she is presenting. Therefore, the students act accordingly. -Makes sense to me.