Personal Appearance

Personal appearance
personal appearance
Personal appearance refers to a person's outward appearance. Although there are traits that are
innate, such as face shape, body structure, eye color, hair color, etc., today people's personal
appearance can be almost completely transformed. Leaving aside plastic surgery and other medical
interventions, we can change almost all of a person's exterior elements at will. From dying your hair,
putting makeup on your face, increasing your height through high-heeled shoes to even changing
your eye color through contact lenses. Clothes and ornaments also play an important role in personal
appearance.
According to Argyle (Argyle, 1975) “Appearance is deliberately managed and manipulated, some
people care a lot about this form of communication, while others care very little about themselves.
However, many people, perhaps the majority, have little idea of what they are trying to communicate
.
Personal appearance characteristics provide information to others about that individual's

attractiveness, status, conformity, personality, social class, style and taste, sexuality, and age, and
often have an effect on perceptions and reactions of others. “You might think that people who
respond to these external signals are not worth knowing, since they forget the “inside of the person.”
However, people may never get a chance to know the inside of the person if they are rejected by the
outside appearance” (Gambrill & Richey, 1985).
An element of personal appearance that is often given considerable importance, although it is often
not recognized, is physical attractiveness. People continually claim that another's physical
attractiveness has no effect on them, their perceptions, or their behavior when in reality it appears
not to be the case. Experimental research shows that the average person drastically underestimates
the influence of physical attractiveness on them. Furthermore, although the money spent by some
people on improving physical attractiveness is very high, there is a general tendency to deny,
recognize or minimize this fact.
Our society, which constantly pursues physical attractiveness (e.g., advertising, cinema) continues to
contradict itself by explicitly subscribing to the honorable belief that physical appearance is a
peripheral and superficial characteristic with little influence on our lives.
The power of this characteristic is possibly due to the fact that there is no other element that is so
easily observable, except variables such as race or sex (Patzer, 1985). When people first meet, their
personal appearance is the most obvious and accessible trait. The fact that a person may be
intelligent, educated, healthy, competent, etc., is more important throughout life and much more
informative, but such information is not readily available.
Importance of personal image
When we talk about personal image, on many occasions the topic focuses too much
on the person's external beauty or whether they dress well. It must be said that this
is a major mistake because what we are talking about is more than just appearance
or aesthetics. The personal image begins with a discovery of ourselves. If we only
focus on the facade, what we will do is present to others someone that we are not
and that, in most cases, all they are doing is acting towards others.
Rediscovering ourselves means stopping, sitting in front of our own mirror

and realizing who we are. It is a very simple process and, at the same time, a
way for us to get rid of everything superfluous.
At first, what we have to see are the negative points on a personal level.
What do we like about ourselves and where we go wrong. At the same time,
also assess what our positive points are and what we like about ourselves.
The most important thing is sincerity with yourself.
Once we have this clear, the rest is a little simpler. We have to keep in mind
that what we show to others is the image that others will receive of us,
which is why it is very important to be honest with ourselves when it comes
to getting to know us.
Personal image is based on very specific factors: personality , charisma,
clothing, attitude and credibility.
When we refer to personality, we mean that the person has to show
themselves as they are. No one likes everyone, no one is happy 24 hours a
day, no one is always perfect. We all have many virtues and defects and what
we have to do is take advantage of the best in each one and the defects,
correcting them little by little. Showing ourselves as we are is a positive
point for us and for the people around us and, if we apply it to the work part,
much better because that creates, in many aspects and situations, positive
bonds of trust that can be very positive in the workplace. job .
Charisma is something that is worked on every day, with a positive attitude
and the desire to improve on an individual level. Attitude is very important,
since if it is positive, if it is good and we work at it, we will gain a lot when it
comes to achieving what we want.
As for clothing, it is also important for personal image. But we also don't
have to look like someone we are not. The best thing is, if we have any
doubts in this regard, to have someone to help us, from their independent
point of view, with it.
Regarding credibility, it is important that the people we meet, whether in the
private or professional sphere, know who they have in front of them, that
they trust our potential because they trust the person, who they are, what
they are like. and in what it transmits to others.
The importance of personal
appearance
Most people use their sense of sight more than their sense of hearing. We
judge first by what we see before we listen, which is why appearance will
usually determine how much we are accepted.
Taking care of our personal appearance is not only about adapting to the
demands of others in terms of how we should look, but also in the way we see
ourselves, this will make the difference between being afraid or feeling confident
about ourselves.
When we know that we are poorly dressed, smelly, poorly groomed, dirty, or
with unusual clothing, automatically when we start a conversation, our mind is
distracted and wanders to think about what things they should be criticizing
about us, on the contrary, When we feel clean, well dressed, smell good, well
combed, and well presentable, when we are talking to others, personal
appearance takes a backseat because we know that we have nothing to worry
about, when eyes stop to analyze us. .
The personal image must be built very carefully so as not to mistake the
objectives that have to do with one's own development, in the place where we
are going to live with other people.
While it is true that the image is not everything, since a person includes some
other elements that are not part of the image that they construct to function in
the world, it is also correct to keep in mind that the first impression is the one
that counts.
There is a saying that says “Seeing is believing”, that is, in everything we see
there is a good part of personal belief, which does not necessarily coincide with
objective elements that belong to what is observed. In the business world, for
example, a person's personal appearance says 50% of who they are.
Some image consultants believe that changes in appearance (such as clothing,

colors, manners, behavior and communication skills) have little value if they are
not accompanied by changes inside people. It's like taking the peel and
forgetting about the fruit. You must work with values, attitudes, beliefs and self-
esteem. Looking good and feeling good is the key.
Tips on Nonverbal Communication
Although there are no recipes in matters of leadership and work on one's own
image, when it comes to non-verbal communication, there are some
observations that specialists never fail to take into account and that are very
frequent in the sales area. ; However, they can be applied in other disciplines.
Some of these are:
*The gesture of covering your mouth is showing a lie.

*Touching your nose indicates the same thing but it is more hidden.
*Moving your hands with palms facing up indicates honesty, openness.
*A closed fist indicates aggression.
*Rubbing your palms is indicating positive results.
*Hands clasped high, elbows on the table, indicates that it will be difficult to
convince; on the table indicates that it will be easier to convince.
*Looking down and rubbing your eye indicates a lie.
*Rubbing the ear indicates that the subject is bored and tired.
*Scratching the neck says that the subject does not know if he agrees with
what we tell him.
*Rubbing or touching your hair indicates that you want to distract us.
*Crossing your arms and/or legs indicates that you are defending yourself from
the interlocutor.
Personal appearance
The external appearance of people has a series of characteristics that in
principle cannot be modified (except through the use of cosmetic surgery), such
as the shape of the face, height, body structure, etc.) But the greatest Some of
the components of personal appearance are completely modifiable (hair color,
makeup, type of clothing, muscles, hair removal, use of contact lenses.) The list
of possible changes to make in personal appearance is endless, and even more
so at the time. current, which favors this type of changes.
Personal appearance has a very powerful communicative value; In fact, the first
impression that others form of us is determined, in addition to the mental
schemas of the observer. People draw conclusions by observing personal
appearance on aspects as diverse as age, sexuality, intelligence, and
sociocultural level.
Each person will use the communicative value of personal appearance

according to their own criteria, being aware of the possible inferences that
others may make. But it is true that sometimes situations may require us to
change our appearance (think of a job in which we are required to wear a jacket
and tie, for example), and here it is the freedom of each one to accept or not.
those kinds of changes. We should not get angry, or think that we are being
restricted when they demand a change of clothing at a job or at a certain social
event, since it undoubtedly responds to the communicative value of personal
appearance.
The importance of personal image, the first

impression remains
The image that others form of us, based on a first impression, is what generally lasts
and what opens or closes the doors to new opportunities for us.
We are rarely aware of the speed with which others label and classify
us; A glance or the exchange of a couple of words is enough to
determine if someone we have just met could be the executive we are
looking for, if we are dealing with a charlatan or an intelligent, but shy,
person, if it is an individual with personality. complicated or someone
with difficulties in relating.
The image that others form of us, based on a first impression, is what
generally lasts and what opens or closes the doors to new opportunities
for us.
All human beings project an image in front of others, which begins to
form from our physical aspects, is strengthened by everything we let
see about ourselves and is consolidated with what others perceive and
interpret from each of our actions. .
The image that we build daily is a reflection of how others perceive us
and may or may not adjust to what we really are and what we have
wanted others to believe and think about us.
Once others have formed that image, we hardly have an opportunity to
change it, so the first impression we achieve will generally be the one
that lasts and the one that will be fundamental in the decision that is
made, within any process of selection.
Taking care of our image over time, so that it always reflects what we
have wanted to show, requires total coherence in our actions and
behaviors in relation to what others think and expect of us.
When this coherence is lost, even if it is due to a single unfortunate
event, the image deteriorates or can be completely ruined, making its
recovery almost impossible.
Maintaining our image today requires extreme care, because in a
society where each individual has a voice recorder in their pocket,
which is also a photography and video camera, any out-of-tune
performance can be recorded and uploaded in seconds. to social
networks, forever ruining an image and reputation built over the years.
We live in uncomplicated times in which everyone establishes their own
style of dress, often far from what protocol and etiquette dictates;
Public figures, from the business world and especially the artistic world,
attend all kinds of acts and events, dressed in the most varied ways,
reinforcing or deteriorating the personal image that each one has
wanted to show.
But image is not just a matter of ways of acting, styles of dressing and
ways of grooming; The way we communicate also determines the way
others see us; Although the words we use are very important in the
communication process, because they reveal our knowledge, level of
education and respect for others, intonation and body language are the
most determining aspects of the image that others form of us.
Intonation, as well as eye contact, gestures, hand handling and our
body position, reveal the truthfulness of our messages, the way we feel
and our degree of security or discomfort in certain situations. When we
work on creating a certain image that we want to project, the important
thing is to ensure that it reflects what we really are. For example, if I am
an insecure person, before trying to appear confident, I must work to
achieve the security that I need, so that my actions reflect what I really
am and feel, because false images crumble easily.
An interesting exercise in defining the image you want to build is to
imagine how we would like to be remembered on the day we must
leave this world.
If one wanted, for example, when talking about who we were, those
who knew us said: “he was a hard-working, upright, enterprising and
fair man who had earned the affection and respect of his family, friends
and collaborators”, all our Actions must precisely reflect these
qualifiers, otherwise, we will have built an image different from the one
we wanted to project.

Personal Appearance

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Personal Appearance

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Personal appearance

Personal appearance characteristics provide information to others about that individual's

Rediscovering ourselves means stopping, sitting in front of our own mirror

Some image consultants believe that changes in appearance (such as clothing,

Some of these are:

*The gesture of covering your mouth is showing a lie.

Each person will use the communicative value of personal appearance

The importance of personal image, the first

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