What you wear matters

Published: Fri 20 Dec 2019, 3:21 PM

No matter how much we are advised not to judge someone based on appearance, the way we dress does leave an impression. "Should you wear sneakers to work?" (@Bloggerheads, Dec 13) addressed the issue of smart versus casual wear at work. Dressing smartly at work conveys the impression that we're responsible and reliable. That's not to say that we have to suppress our individuality, but we need to be careful not to cross the line, if we want to be taken seriously.
Sneakers, in my opinion, are too casual for work, unless one is in a sector where a casual dress code is acceptable. The key is to strike a balance between not going over the top, dressing too stiffly and formally, while, at the same time, not going to the other extreme and dressing so casually that it makes us look like we couldn't care less.
As self-development author Brian Tracy says, "Dress for success. Image is very important. People judge you by the way you look on the outside."
-Taqdees,Ras Al Khaimah
Are we kidding?
The most beautiful aspect of Life's Like That (Children are the parents, I'm just a kid, Dec 13) was how the author adeptly handled sensitive subjects like cyber behaviour and respect for women. As a parent coming from an era where corporal punishment and coercive discipline were the norms of upbringing, I admire his effort to bond with his son, thus providing prolific adult advice - without the need for berating. I can recount the times when communication between two generations, irrespective of age, had been more insightful when the conversations elude prejudice. Listening to what the younger generation has to say is healthier than one-sided correction. The advice itself - elucidating the contrast between virtual content and a genuine definition of love, commitment and upliftment of women - was profound.
Malaika Rodrigues, by email

Ditch the grapevine
Rumours are juicy and have a way of slipping under our mental defences before we even think of questioning them. They may be false information, but they needle our anxieties and we fall somewhere between factual and inaccurate in our judgements. It's important to recognise that these people who spread news consistently misinterpret and misjudge both behaviour and intentions. Rumours are like clouds, out of our reach. We cannot control them; they are created by those who envy us. Only shallow individuals who feel insecure adopt such popularity contests. I find them boring, and choose to confront them instead.
Hemika, Sharjah

All those who have had to face rumours at least once in their lifetime, well, Humour in the rumour (Dec 13) was for you. For all those who had to go through torturous ramblings of society just because you were minding your own business, the Last Word's for you. And for humans who have people in their life who do not understand the meaning of the word 'IF', the column is for you.
Being just 20, one might think what would I know about rumours. But what they don't realise is that teenagers go through a fair share of rumours in school and university life. One of the latest rumours I personally have been tolerating is "she's leaving because they have no money left".
What if we lived in a world where there was more humour and less rumour? What if people knew their boundaries and when not to pry into someone else's business? What if we could do what we desire without having second thoughts? Just, what if?
Alefiyah A, by email