Braunstein Speaks

Status

We all wear uniforms to communicate our status to the world. For most white-collar workers, it is the white collar itself, which is worn with a suit. The suit immediately conveys the fact that the wearer does not work with his hands—manual labor—but is a manager or professional of some kind.

As a young engineer reporting for my first day as a project engineer in a steel mill, I was told to wear a coat and tie in accordance with my “status” as a member of the engineering department. The next morning, I found myself atop a mill-stand; my sports jacket and pants smeared with grime and grease.

I soon learned why field engineers favor cheap suits and polyester ties. I started wearing inexpensive shirts—which I bought a half-dozen at a time—and I kept a can of lighter fluid in my desk to clean the grease from my wash-and-wear trousers.

Not all status uniforms are expensive. My wife—a nurse-practitioner—wears a lab coat, as do most physicians; but the ultimate in healthcare-professional status-clothing are surgical greens, especially when worn with a scrub-cap, gown, dangling surgical mask, and green shoe-covers. This outfit announces that you have just emerged from the surgical suite, where you have battled hand-to-hand with death—and emerged victorious.

Many status symbols speak for themselves. Even a cheap Mercedes Benz or BMW costs more than any Chevrolet; but even among the wealthy, there are status-steps in automobiles. Currently, professional athletes favor the Maybach, an obscure German brand that can cost upwards of $400,000.

In real estate, the three most important things about a home are, location, location, and location. An 1,800 square-foot house on a quarter-acre suburban lot may cost $300,000; but the same house on the water is worth three-million dollars.

As with many other things, a residence doesn’t always convey status to a person, but the person conveys status to his home.

When I lived in South Beach, an upscale rental unit was soon built next door. It was favored by young people on their way up who gladly paid $1,500 for a one-bedroom apartment, and furnished it for another $1,000 a month. Their last $1,500 went for their leased Ferrari. They might not have owned a pot to piss in, but they sure looked as if they didn’t need one.

A person’s true status is usually conveyed by that person’s verbal and nonverbal communication. It is said that your true nature is determined by how you treat others who you know can do nothing for you in return, but you treat them respectfully anyway.

When you have achieved that level of propriety, then you have achieved “status.”

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