A policeman in plain clothes is one man; in his uniform he is ten. Clothes and title are the most potent thing, the most formidable influence in the earth. Thy move the human race to willing and spontaneous respect for the judge, the general, the admiral, the bishop, the ambassador, the frivolous earl, the idiot duke, the sultan, the king, the emperor,. No great title is efficient without clothes to support it. Mark Twain
2 comments:
So true. Coming from a military family, it was always interesting for me to see how my father changed when he put on his uniform. The uniform literally enabled him to assume a persona that was a combination of his real personality and traits he created.
I'd say this notion even extends to civilian life. Law schools here in the States basically have students go through acting classes part of their trial procedure coursework.
And of course, we know all kinds of atrocities have been perpetrated by people in uniform (not just military) and I can't help but wonder if they would have done the same thing if they were just wearing regular clothes.
excellent quote... i am a firm believer in using clothing to remove the wearer from the mundane. if you are a judge -- it is important to look like one -- the clothes may not make the man (or woman) but the robes of authority impress those brought before it.
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