I came across this curious sentence in the current edition of Nesweek:
Quote:Back in the 1950s, [psycho]analysis was a status symbol and a mark of sophistication, a role filled in society today by cosmetic surgery.
I've been thinking a bit about this -- how it really seems to be a condemnation of current society and its worship of beauty over examination of self.
But then I started thinking further....
A few years back I read a book called "Aching for Beauty" about the history of foot binding in China. The book makes clear that contrary to popular belief that women were active and eager participants in the practice and they were very competitive about how tiny their feet were. Tiny feet were a status symbol.
In agricultural eras and societies, being fat and pale was a status symbol. As laborers moved indoors, being thin and tan became a status symbol.
The 1980s brought us both the aerobics craze and the high maintence woman with big hair and long nails -- proof that they had the time and the money to spend on themselves.
I suppose that cosmetic surgery fills the same role in society as these other notions of beauty.
But are these types of status symbols in any way a mark of sophistication?
For that matter, are cars or houses or watches or.... whatever... really an emblem of sophistication?
What ques and clues do you use to mark the sophistication of others?