Think With Caffeine Log 17 - The Art of Blending
Coffee is brewing
Today, I am writing my opinion on the art of blending. Well you can call it disguise, camouflage, whatever your name it. I prefer blending.It does not matter what are you end goals but by the end of this post, I hope we will learn something very useful for our daily life. If you have a certain level of anxiety in public, this post might help you.
I have been taught all my life that I have to dress accordingly. I followed this rule until a certain point, I decided to rebel. I said, “Screw that! I dress how I want it to be”.However, It is still fresh in my mind that one time, a stranger in the train asked me “where is your headscarf?” I was puzzled. “ Did he just assume my background?” I said in my mind while trying to find a reason. I thought this was a free land, a democratic country. In reality, sometime I find these case. People assuming someone’s background based on the majority group presented in the country.
These cases was also well documented on my steemit posts and it never crossed my mind again until recently. Because I recently realized that getting an information is easier when you are blending in public. If you master this craft, people give in their information voluntarily in any kinds of form. Good and bad, it depends on your moral ground. But one thing I believe, knowledge and information are power. It will help your survive and thrive.
I want to help my fellow anxious friend but not restricted to someone who want to get information.If you are a very anxious person, I suggest to dress like others. This will make you no less special than anyone on the street. And by the way, this has helped me to blend in and being invisible. However, if you have a very apparent facial features, you might still be a subject to stare but play your stereotypes and try to casually blend in with the locals. But please, don’t look like you’re tying too hard.Moreover,if you want to learn something or getting an information, dress like the environment and speak the lingo.
Furthermore, this craft is a whole. Knowing the common vocabularies they use will help with blending easily in any places that you want to be. If you don’t equipped or unprepared, then you can simply say “ I am still new and learning”.
Now, our social life these days is not restricted to offline interaction. Our online interaction sometimes determine our whole life. It’s crazy isn’t it? remember image or information leaks that leads to the person being the center of the world’s attention? familiar. That’s the world we live in today. Internet is a magical place. It’s Alice in the wonderland. This also enables us to gain limitless knowledge by being whoever we want to be. But the real playground is not online. It's how our online interaction impact the offline interaction. You might want to consider what you share online But anyway, I prefer to not to stress things out.
upps, I forgot my coffee
Sips my coffee
I am going to give another tips for someone that relates to this.I know that SIR or MAAM are polite ways of addressing someone but please don’t use them excessively online. You might not notice but often some will easily throw a hint of sarcasm which you might not notice. If you want to get an information, back again. BLEND IN.
Another supplement that will connect my ramble today check out the video from former CIA who is teaching you how to blend in a simplest form- only in the surface. On the note, I am very surprised they made this kind of video.
Sips my coffee
Back to compiling article I've been meaning to compile.
Tell me your thoughts or opinion about this matter in the comment section. Thank you.
Signed, M.
Interesting thoughts and I guess it really depends deeply on people's desires. If you want to stand out and do your own thing, make an impact on the world then blending in is not the way to do it.
For me, it's a bit of a tough one as I do want to stand out being a musician, blogger but the confidence to do it isn't always there. It comes and goes. Sometimes I do just want to hide away in the background but the internet has given me a bit of help on that as I can reach more people without having to be outside!
But if people are introverted, then don't draw attention to yourself, do the things suggested by you in this blog.
Knowing yourself first is pretty key to all of this actually as that will determine how you behave in social circumstances :)
I think for someone in the music industry, they have options, are they going to work behind the screen or in front of the screen? Like you said, it depends on people's desire. ; do you want to be on the spotlight? if yes then you have to stand out. Since you want to stand out as a musician, then make sure people familiar with your name and your occupation.
I am not saying one shouldn't go outside, in fact they should. Because first hand information is found offline rather than online. Then people report it online and it spreads like wildfire which often the case these days.
Also, I remind anyone, even if you like this kind of jacket, please don't wear this around hot area. I personally tried to dress wintery but that only invites stares lol
Post-Apocalyptic Clothing
M.
Yea for sure - if you want to just be a producer you can hide in the studio and write songs for other people for a fee (ghost writing) or if you want to be a DJ then you kinda need to be presenting yourself. For me, it was just about making music but then as things happened, I wanted to start DJing and I thought having my own show would be really cool... then I made it happen :)
Yes definitely agree with you, meeting someone face to face and getting to know them personally is far greater way of getting to know things!
And those look like Assassin's Creed clothes haha :)
Hey @macchiata, that was an interesting post. I had been living in Chennai (not my hometown) for about 6years now. By now I should have been blended so well that I should refer myself as Chennai. But that didn't happen.
I still stick out like a sunflower in the box of strawberry.
The language is different and I always try to escape in getting in the conversation with the locals.
Thanks for crushing my dream of becoming a spy. Just kidding.
I know I can never be a Spy.
@inuke, You need to watch and read more spy movies hahaha then you know most male spies character, they blend in easily despite any circumstances because that's what it takes, blending.
You can still be a spieeee :-D I think.
M.
Let's commence my Spy training then, Shall we?
Hahaha, No but it is true. I don't know what it is I crave for attention and when I get it, I cave... LOL
Weird me.
What an interesting post and video! My experience as a traveller thought me is better to keep a low profile in most of the destinations.
You're right. That's what I learned from traveling too. Staying vigilant, low profile while still able to learn a lot and having fun. I truly suggest you to watch the video. It's interesting!
Posted using Partiko Android
I watched the video and I was surprised to learn how small cues can give away your background. ;0)
In online interaction you can spot the pattern easily. Cues like sir and maam or the way the address someone can determine a background. Then names too though not always.
Posted using Partiko Android