Friday, December 19, 2008

LAW # 25: RE-CREATE YOURSELF

What do kings, generals and pharaohs have in common?

HEADGEARS

2 important things for this power:

Societies Perception

Your Image

As the 25th law of power states: RE-CREATE YOURSELF. Meaning: not to be controlled by society and how it creates your image, create a new identity that garners attention then everything else falls to pieces after.

In my opinion, it simply means:

Image = Power

The standard image given to you means nothing (unless you’re of royal blood though, lucky guys).

Ever heard of a female Pope?

One is Pope Joan, who dressed up as a man to become a Pope. She slowly went up the ranks until she became one. However, she gave birth while trying to mount a horse ending her “mamacy”.

It’s still a mystery but, it shows an important point; how one could seize power by dressing up. People having no power can obtain it by simply changing his image. Like if signet rings were to be worn by non-ruling class people way back when in Egypt, giving them authority, anyone can gain power by creating an image that demands one.

BUT, being able to stand out is not all that is important. Anyone can stand out, in a good way or bad, depending on the people around you.

Take the first monotheist from Egypt, Akhenaten. His idea was good but, it was at the wrong place at the wrong time. For this idea to work you need to be “in” yet “out” at the same time. Have an idea that everyone can relate with not only you.

SO, more than the inner goodness, the outer image projected plays a much more important role. People who don’t know you would judge you from your appearance. For people in power it’s important because they wouldn’t really meet everyone they’re ruling, so the creation of “that” image (along with the skills or maybe even without it) is a must to get respect, in a way, power.

Changing your image can benefit you in so many ways.

I mean, if you were to save a serial killer wearing a coat against say a priest wearing bloody and tattered clothes from a sinking ship… not knowing who they are, who would you save when next to you is someone with a knife impaled deeply in his face?


"If you look like you know what you’re talking about, most of the time people will believe you"

JR Resma

HI 18 - K

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I see that this law highly stresses out the point that one must always create an image towards society. This caters to the perspective of how people are supposed to look, act, and talk.

This law is true to the extent that we must put our best foot forward in the hopes that we could improve ourselves thus leading people to favor us over others. It is true that our society has a tendency to believe in almost all stereotypes. If this is so, then why not follow these stereotypes to gain recognition over others.

Although this law focuses on re-creating ones self, it also promotes the idea of people wearing “masks” towards others. This stimulates the idea of people acting differently to get the approval of others. This leads us to limiting ourselves with respects to what is believed to be accepted by others, leaving us with no room for new ideas and perspectives.

This law is true to a certain extent depending on how it is perceived by a person and how it is executed.

Hi18-L Richard Hahn

Anonymous said...

This law coincides with the other law about protecting one's image. Indeed, how you project yourself to society can make or break how they treat you or act towards you. However, wouldn't it be very pretentious to let people think that you're this person when in truth you're not? Yes, we may get their approval or even their respect, but aren't we just fooling ourselves? They don't really respect the power we have as a person. They respect the image you create. These are two totally different things, don't you think?

Rhea Entuna
Hi-K

Anonymous said...

hahah section L pala!

Rhea Entuna

Anonymous said...

i think it's not about putting your best foot forward. it's kind of like advertising. my sister was telling me why the iPod was such a big marketing hit. it's because mp3 players were just music. this iPod became about YOUR music: YOUR playlist defined you. and so they re-created music to be part of one's identity. so re-creating is not about changing your identity compeletely, it's just about twisting what you already have into something better.

ocampo 18-k

Anonymous said...

Creativity is one of those talents that doesn't lose its value. One may learn all the concepts in the world but without the creativity to apply them then it would be useless. I think this law is trying to emphasize the importance of being creative in the quest for power. It's emphasizing the capacity to adapt when faced with adversity.

Denis Flores
Hi 18k

Anonymous said...

Richard mentions that this law stresses on image. This law relies on how society perceives appearance. You recreate yourself according on how people will react and accept your new persona.

Just look at the world today. Which person seems to be above others....? A person who is well dressed and can carry himself/herself well, or a person who dresses simply and keeps his/head down at times. People would say that it is the person who is well dressed and can carry himself/herself well that would rise and be “in power”.

Though this is true, I can say that this can also be all about culture. What a person in power looks like may differ from one society to another. The orientation of a person of influence and authority is subjective to a society, and even to a person.

Again, it is all about perception, the physical notion of society towards a single person.

By the way, female pope? Yeah. The babaylans. :)

Mara Liboro
Hi18-K

Anonymous said...

visual impressions of people are very powerful. although everyone knows you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, people still do.

a few weeks ago my oldest sister gave me a talk on how i should start changing my appearance as i was getting older. "you shouldn't wear sneakers, gas shirts, t shirts anymore. you should start wearing heels and learn how to dress well, etcetc"

what brought on all this i asked? she said that i looked like a kid.not a 20 yr old. and that when i graduated no one will take me seriously because i looked like i was 15 and therefore unpresentable, shouldn;t be taken seriously no matter how smart or hardworking i would try to be. She has a friend who is short and super thin, she's 26 but looks 17, utterly brilliant. but she can't get a promotion even when she's better qualified than all her colleagues.

life isn't fair or easy. besides changing my clothes and how i carry myself, i dont think i will ever look my age in the future. so yes, i agree, re-creating oneself is toughhh.

monica ang, L

*pls pls comment on my post (47th law) =)

Sean said...

This is an interesting law. It tells us to change our appearance so that we can change the perception of others. I was told of a story of a man who went to shop at a Lacoste shop. He was dressed in house clothes and wearing slippers. The sales ladies did not mind him at all. He then came back later wearing good clothes. The sales ladies paid attention to him. All the while he was cursing the sales ladies for discriminating.

Sean Co
Hi 18 K

Anonymous said...

@ sean: i actually tried that one time in rockwell. it worked. haha! just goes to show how every little thing can say something about you and change the way people view you. the way people classify/judge you in their heads (at the very least, for first impressions.. which for most, affect the way they view the person and their expectations of a person even after their first impressions are proven to be wrong) is largely based on what they see on the surface, even if we all do know that we should look beyond that.

kristina tan hi18 k

Anonymous said...

This law's pretty much evident as of today. As we are entering a so-called online world, we tend to "re-create" ourselves. It seems to give us a bit of confidence showing other people the other side of us. Th other side which better, stronger, and more powerful. Though in the online world, it so easy to fake one's identity and applying it to the real world really needs mastery and skills.

Lambino, Mikail H.
L

Anonymous said...

Advertising companies employ these tactics all the time, and admittedly, they work--they play on both the strengths of the past and the refreshing trends of the present in order to secure the future in terms of money and power. Additional to this law should be: recreate yourself according to what your people want.

Peep Warren
Hi18-L

Anonymous said...

Re-creating yourself cannot be generalized as there are lots of things to consider and revise. Personality, state and physical looks are just a few of those to consider. I think however, that a person should not completely recreate himself. Leave a mark that is distinct and yet strategic. This way, people who have loved you for who you were can still pretty much relate with those who love your new self. Re-creating yourself by mimicry does not at all give a point and therefore should be done. What's the point, right?

Czarina Kathryne Masagca
Hi18-L

Anonymous said...

@ Peep- Advertising companies indeed do a great job of utilizing these techniques. Some of my favorite commercials are those that take in memories or aspects of the past while at the same time connecting them or making them relatable to the future. By building on people's memories, you are not only hitting a nerve but are also reminding them of a fantasy or dream that they may have forgotten or shoved away.

Madonna is probably the queen of reinvention as she has been able to maintain a strong career despite the many ups and downs in her life. Her image is therefore that of a chameleon. The fact that she doesn't have a stable image is her trademark and it has helped her attain a wide fan base that merges different cultures, styles, and classes.


Regina A. Yulo
Hi 18 L

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