Why do some young people not understand how important their appearance is?

Question

Tattoos in very visible places, weird hair color, piercing in every opening none to man all look very badly to the outside world. In a perfect world people would not be judged by their appearance but that will never happen. All of the above make people think very badly of you and can hinder your chances in the future. I used to be a manager and company policy prohibited me from hiring anyone with visible tattoos more than two piercing and the had to be in the ears and no abnormal hair color. We paid more than our competitors and it barred many people from getting a job with us. Things like that happen everyday and I don’t think young people realize that when they get all this done to them. Why is that

we dealt with upscale clients and they would not do business with us if we had people with tattos so we did not hire anyone with one and i had to fire a girl who died her hair pink

i will admit it was a retail store i was at but now i have a degree and even in the corprate world people have to cover their tattoos if they have them or face discipline and piercings are not allowed

Answer 1

I love you and your post, my thoughts exactly

Answer 2

Ideally, I would like to think those kids are protesting the very value structure that you're describing. Remember, the whole violating cultural standards of appearance thing started with the sixties counter-culture.

But, when kids dress the part and still try to take part in the society their appearance attempts to undermine, they run in to the problems you describe.

To speculate, I'd say whatever company you worked for was probably a corporate-owned retailer of some kind, and the McJobs those kinds of places offer are a dime a dozen. If your company won't hire them, there's another one down the street that will. Those kinds of jobs don't have a future anyway (as evidenced by your not working there anymore), so I think the impact on these kids' lives is probably minimal.

Answer 3

I agree that ones appearance hamper certain opportunities, but I don't think it should be the sole basis for what kind of job they qualify for.

I couldn't say the reasons why every "young person" would dramatically alter their appearance, but why should it even matter? Maybe they want to preserve their individuality or simply like to look that way.

Society places too much emphasis on appearances anyway. If you were to conduct a job interview over the phone, and that person exceeded every qualification expected (except appearances), wouldn't that make us petty?

It has been a common ideal throughout history to be judged for who you are. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" - Martin Luther King Jr. "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." - Shakespeare. Are these not truths we presently hold? Or are they ideas that aren't implemented.

It may be true that society will never completely let go of the desire of certain appearances. It a primitive reaction. We are attracted beauty, strength, etc.

But I don't think any of us are so broad in perspective to pass judgment on appearances alone.

Answer 4

So, according to you, BECAUSE the world has the wrong values (i.e.: caring too much about looks) people should adjust themselves to those WRONG values, and look like they are supposed to, and perpetuate the situation?

If a value is wrong, what you should do is not care about it, and do what you want. The more people can show that they can be good people, good workers, or whatever, WITH their looks, the faster we're going to understand looks have NOTHING to do with what's inside. Imagine a more open-minded company hired all the people you were made to reject and they had more success than you. That's not really impossible, you know...

Besides, I don't agree it's not going to happen that people's minds are going to open up to accept this. It won't happen, only as long as we play by their rules. If we impose ours, the situation is going to change.

And mind you, I'm a 35-year-old, without a single tattoo in my body, and who would never even dream of getting one. So I'm not talking on my behalf, here.

Answer 5

Perhaps the more important question to be asked should be "why does anyone feel that appearance is important?"

I would just like to add that the appearance isn't hampering one's oppertunities when it comes to tatoo's and piercings. In this case it is a matter of projection. Some business owners/managers hamper one's opportunities when it comes to tatoo's and piercings.

One can see such patterns of projection in many different examples. I once volunteered my time in an alternative coffee shop and the surrounding community was very conservative and began causing a lot of problems, cutting phone lines, calling cops with false reports, breaking the coffee shop windows. The coffee shop eventually had to close down because supposedly, it was creating a hostile environment in the community... But, it was the community's hate crimes that were fostering hostility in the community, that had begun to spread to many adolescents who felt that their illegal actions against the coffee shop and coffee shop patrons were condoned by the community.

Answer 6

It's a 'fight' between the traditionalists and the modernists. It's a struggle between what one considers modest and not.

Personally, if one covered with tattoo and piercings and rainbow-colored hair does a wonderful job, I'd keep him/her. Also, if one so neat and clean in appearance does a very poor job, I'd be quick to fire him/her.

Answer 7

Sounds like your company was practicing prejudice in job hiring, what is the name of the company, maybe someone can sue them. It might not look good to you, but to them it is style. I say to each his own. Who has the right to say how you or anyone should look. This is the land of the free last time I looked. Though that is changing with bush in charge and people who think they are GOD and should have control of how other people look and live.

Answer 8

Hi,i'm 47,male,so i'm not biased towards young people,But it's just the fashion,thats all.The outside world?The outside world is diverse to the extreme.Some people like all that and some don't.I used to dye my hair with felt tip pens in the 70's.People shouldn't judge a book by it'cover.it's just the fashion that's all.We used to get free bubble gum with our tatoos.bye

Answer 9

In my opinion a person who openly expresses thier individuality is less threatening than a lot who don't. Think about this one for a moment ...do you really believe that a person who has visible markings that make them stand out from the crowd would commit more crimes than one who didn't.
It's not only young people...what about the military?

Answer 10

Because societal standards have slipped and parents don't enforce any dress codes with their kids or tell them how the real world works. Kids grew up being told how great they were (had to work up their self esteem) and getting trophies right and left, so they think they can do whatever they want.

Answer 11

yeah when the parents money runs out, and they start wondering why they can't earn enough money pouring Starbucks and selling t-shirts, then you'll see them shed the earrings and start searching for tattoo removal doctors.