Axiom 42: You Are What You Wear

"Good clothes open all doors." -Thomas Fuller

"You'd be surprised how expensive it costs to look this cheap." -Steven Tyler

In 1971 the Stanford Prison Experiment took a small number student volunteers and put them into the roles of prisoners and prison guards to see what would happen. The goal was to research the causes of prisoner / prison guard conflict. After just a short while the students internalized the roles so much they had stepped beyond the predicted behavioral bounds to create some borderline dangerous situations. So much so that the experiment was stopped early.

I would argue that the Stanford Prison Experiment proves the power that clothing can have over human behavior. The students dressed as guards started to internalize the authority that wearing a badge gave them. The students dressed as prisoners started to internalize the savage and reckless behavior that wearing a prison outfit exudes.

It makes me realize how important clothes are in how we are treated by the world and how we feel about ourselves. Ever put on a good suit or nice dress and felt like a million bucks? Did you feel like people treated you with a little more respect?

A few years ago when I would go out to my favorite local bar I would always run into a guy who simply called himself "Big Time". (That's his picture with me above). Every time I saw him he was always wearing a different handmade suit. I saw at least 20 different suits over the course of the few years I would run into him. He told me he only would only wear a suit for one night only. Pretty interesting, huh?

If Big Time had just worn a t-shirt and jeans every time I saw him I would have probably never noticed him. Other people would not have noticed him. He would have blended in the crowd. He wouldn't have got the admiration and respect that he did. 

When Big Time walked in to a place people were excited to see him. I looked forward to seeing what new suit he would be wearing. People would shake his hand and offer to buy him a drink. Ladies ran up to have their photo made with him. He was a local celebrity.

and it was all because of the way he dressed. Get my point?

My Predictions for 2020

The documentary Transcendent Man is a great look at what the future might be like for us. In the documentary Ray Kurzweil talks about the snowball effect that technology has on itself that allows exponential and rapid growth in new technologies.

While 2020 seems like such a long way off here are some of my personal predictions of how life will be different:

• Wearable tech is the norm - Google Glass and smart watches are in their infancy. By 2020 it will be more normal to check your watch for a text message than to pull your phone out of your pocket. Wearable tech will totally sync with your house, car, phone, and watch. It will be commonplace to use smart devices to make payments, unlock doors, adjust lighting, and other menial tasks from one centralized smart network.
• Cloud ownership over physical ownership - By 2020 I predict cloud ownership will be more normal than physical ownership. Photos, documents, music, movies, will all be in the cloud and lead to the ultimate death of removable media and physical storage.
• Driverless Cars - Self-driving cars will be a reality for the at least some of the mainstream population. The only hold up will be because of new regulations needed to work out the legal kinks. By 2020 at least some main roads and freeways could possibly be okay-ed for self-driving vehicles. Ultimately as the technology advances self-driving cars will be the norm on all roads and greatly improve traffic flow without having to add more traffic lanes.
• Improved Night Vision - Night-vision car windshields and prescription night-vision glasses my be available by 2020. Researchers have made great advancements in night vision technology over the last few years that will allow everyone a chance to use night-vision in a useful way in their daily lives.
• 3D Printing - By 2020 many homes will own 3D printers. This will be the death of many factories and brick and mortar retails stores. Instead of buy a wrench from Home Depot you'll probably be able to log on you their website and buy a "digital" wrench you can print right at home. Traditional regulations will get much more complicated as outlawed products like some weapons will be able to be printed at home.
• Extreme Personalization - We are already seeing personalized results from Google & Facebook - more about that here. The days of a "one-size-fits-all" mentality are ending. Instead by 2020 more products and services will be tailored to your individual likes and dislikes. Databases will store and remember your preferences and will shape your interaction with the world.
• Change in Shopping Patterns - Amazon has started slowly rolling out its home delivery service in a few cities nationwide. By 2020 many people will be using this service, or one similar, instead of going out to shop. Huge distribution centers are being constructed now instead of huge shopping centers. In 2020 people will order groceries and other basic items via their computer, TV, and tablets for same-day home delivery. The days of fighting crowds at the mega-store are coming to an end.

Axiom 41: Reciprocity

"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us." -Flora Edwards

"It is better to give than receive." -Unkown

I was channel surfing late one night and came across one of those Christian shows asking for donations. The preacher was talking about the Biblical teachings of reciprocity. Reciprocity means whatever you give to God he blesses you back tenfold. 

I didn't connect the concept of reciprocity and business until I read The Education of Millionaires. The book talks about giving unto others without requesting anything in return. Sometimes this can backfire if you give to a person who is a taker by heart. Surprisingly enough though, this seems to be the minority of people. Most people are so taken aback when you give to them without asking for anything in return that you often get paid back exponentially in the long run by establishing a strong personal connection.

This Axiom will be a short one. Make it a point to share with others without asking for anything in return. Share knowledge, time, resources, connections, and you will find that in time the same will be shared with you.