One of the arguments Thoreau makes during the chapter Economy: Part II is that people are judged too much by what they wear. I agree with his statement; people shouldn’t have to worry about what clothes they wear. In paragraph 14, Thoreau says, “Most behave as if they believed that their prospects for life would be ruined if they should do it (wear a patch over their knee to mend their pants). It would be easier for them to hobble to town with a broken leg than with a broken pantaloon.” Although today many people don’t care what someone wears, people still judge you depending on what you wear.
An interesting question asked by Thoreau is “Dress a scarecrow in your last shift, you standing shiftless by, who would not soonest salute the scarecrow?” People often have more respect for people who dress nicer, in a suit or dress, because it generally shows wealth and power. Should it matter whether or not someone is dressed up nicely? Clothes were originally used to protect our skin, not to show power. If someone with power decided they didn’t want to dress up in a suit or dress, no one should think less of them for it. We have enough societal pressures put onto us, we don’t need to worry about something as trivial as clothes. …show more content…
There is a proverb that says first impressions are the most lasting, and while I agree that first impressions are important, you shouldn’t let prejudice interfere with it. Similar to how people say “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” you should not judge a person based on their clothes. Instead, let their actions and words speak for themselves. You can not truly know someone until you meet them. But still we subconsciously make assumptions about people based on past experiences. The only solution to this problem is to constantly remind ourselves to not let these past experiences tamper with our judgement of a
An interesting question asked by Thoreau is “Dress a scarecrow in your last shift, you standing shiftless by, who would not soonest salute the scarecrow?” People often have more respect for people who dress nicer, in a suit or dress, because it generally shows wealth and power. Should it matter whether or not someone is dressed up nicely? Clothes were originally used to protect our skin, not to show power. If someone with power decided they didn’t want to dress up in a suit or dress, no one should think less of them for it. We have enough societal pressures put onto us, we don’t need to worry about something as trivial as clothes. …show more content…
There is a proverb that says first impressions are the most lasting, and while I agree that first impressions are important, you shouldn’t let prejudice interfere with it. Similar to how people say “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” you should not judge a person based on their clothes. Instead, let their actions and words speak for themselves. You can not truly know someone until you meet them. But still we subconsciously make assumptions about people based on past experiences. The only solution to this problem is to constantly remind ourselves to not let these past experiences tamper with our judgement of a