The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.

The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar. – Niccolò Machiavelli

Did the Travel Agent neglect to mention that the reason for the cheap rate on your vacation was because it was in the rainy season? The pretty pictures are there to impress the unsophisticated crowd. Take your time, look things up, do your research.

What does that mean?
Here, the word ‘vulgar’ is used to imply a lack of refinement and sophistication in the people making up the bulk of the population. Restating the quote, it becomes “The unsophisticated people are always taken in by appearances, and the world consists mostly of the unsophisticated.”

With the quote restated, we now turn to the heart of the quote, appearances. This concept appears in other parts of his book, The Prince. He seems to be of the mind that it is more important to look good than to be good (or do good). He is also big on using deceit to fool people into believing one thing while the Prince does another.

When people look to appearances, they are looking at the superficial aspects of someone. Where did they go to school? What is their religion, and how often do they attend? How well do they dress, and what do their clothes say about them? Do they appear timid or powerful? These are some of the appearances on which the unsophisticated might concentrate.

Why are appearances important?  
Starting with a political angle, ask Richard Nixon about appearances and how they impacted the poll numbers after his first debate with John F Kennedy. Sick, tired, and without any makeup, Nixon didn’t appear strong and ready to lead. Kennedy, on the other hand, was looking energetic, youthful, and ready to go.

Whatever the merits of the debate were, the appearance factor was all in Kennedy’s favor. In a very close election (which it was), it may well have been enough to change the outcome.

In the quote talks about the vulgar or unsophisticated people, and their use of appearances, and the implication of how they use it in their process of making decisions. The quote also implies that they can be manipulated by the use of appearances.

Where can I apply this in my life?
While it seems crass, it is hard to argue with outcomes sprinkled all throughout human history. Many people have risen to power more on their appearances than on their merits. And there is nothing preventing it from happening today.

For those who live in societies with elections, even at the local level, how much time do you spend vetting a candidate, much less all of them? If you just look at a few points, are you not risking being taken in by appearances?

As you may have guessed, this blog won’t be about how to trick people by appearing to them as someone or something they trust. That wouldn’t be ethical. Besides, if you can’t figure out how to do it on your own, you’re a better person for that failing. 8)

So, how does one avoid being taken (or taken in) by appearances? By looking deeper than the surface. Dig in and see what is behind the facade. This applies to politicians wanting your vote, to the person trying to impress you at work, at a social occasion, or on a date.

The trick, in my opinion, is to determine what is important and what is not. There isn’t enough time in the day to thoroughly investigate everyone and everything. Some things are less important, and can get by with less scrutiny. Other things are very important, and must be carefully scrutinized.

Grab some paper and write down what is important to you at the moment. I say at the moment, because you might not be in the process of dating, shopping for a home or a car, or some other “big item” at the moment. But if you were, should a potential mate, a rare car or an expensive house (is there any other kind?) be taken at appearance, or should it be carefully investigated?

Again, with the caveat that the list is subject to change as your  priorities change, look through and sort the items on a scale of 1 to 10, where a 1 would be something trivial and of little impact, requiring no research, and a 10, which would be the big ticket items mentioned in the prior paragraph.

Now, go through each item on your list and write down how much effort you have been giving the research for each item. Hopefully the numbers match fairly well. The biggest thing of which to be wary is something you don’t understand. That is where you might be considered part of the ‘unsophisticated crowd,’ right?

Try not to be unsophisticated when you are working on something big, so that you don’t get taken advantage of by someone else. We’ve probably all been there, and we didn’t know better until after, right? To me, the important thing is not to get taken again, right?

If you don’t know much about the item, and it is important, you might want to do some research. There is a wealth of knowledge, and most of it is correct, here online. If you want a more personal touch, check with your friends to see if they know, or know someone who knows, about the topic at hand, and can help you out. It may cost you a couple of beers or some other nominal fee, but it beats getting taken, especially on the really important items on your list, right?

From: Twitter, @asadmunir38
confirmed at : http://greatthoughtstreasury.com/?q=node/307991
Photo by familymwr