The way someone is dressed dictates so much about how others interact with that person. When Fred Wilson dressed up as a gallery guide and explained the artwork, people listened to him happily. However, when he dressed up as a security guard, he was not recognized by the same people he was talking to previously, and when he tried to explain the artwork, some people went so far as to report him for it. I think that part of the reason behind this is that people have such a strong instinct to follow instructions from a person who they recognize as an authority figure in whatever they are doing, but if the person is not identifiable as an authority figure, people will completely ignore them thinking that they know better. Much of the way we identify these figures is by how they are dressed. Someone dressed as a museum guide will be instantly assumed to know what they are talking about. They could say just about anything as long as they said it confidently and people would believe them, because they must know \u2013 they\u2019re dressed as a guide after all! This story is quite reminiscent of a story from Frank Abagnale, the real-life con man after whom the movie Catch Me if You Can was based. In a speech about his life, he described carrying out a scheme at an airport. He had identified the drop box where some companies dropped off zipped bags of money at the end of each day. He then went to a local costume store, bought a security guard costume, and placed a sign on the drop box that read \u201cOut of service \u2013 place deposits with security guard on duty.\u201d Companies would literally hand him bags of money. He was somewhat incredulous that this idea had worked, remarking \u201cHow can a drop box be out of service?\u201d This is quite a funny demonstration of how quick people are to believe someone has authority just due to how they are dressed. I believe that part of the reason for this phenomenon is that people are afraid to question authority. Even if one has suspicions about whether or not someone is really a security guard, one would probably be very reluctant to confront them for fear of being wrong and consequently feeling embarrassed or perhaps \u201cgetting in trouble.\u201d It is an instinct that has been drilled into us since we were little kids \u2013 listen to people in charge, whether it be your parents, your teachers, or even someone with more power like the police.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The way someone is dressed dictates so much about how others interact with that person. When Fred Wilson dressed up as a gallery guide and explained the artwork, people listened to him happily. However, when he dressed up as a security guard, he was not recognized by the same people he was talking to previously, … <\/p>\n