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Another way of incorporating this is with the classic "Never trust a man in a suit" We know that we give extra weight to the arguments of good looking individu

Another way of incorporating this is with the classic "Never trust a man in a suit" We know that we give extra weight to the arguments of good looking individuals. Guys in suits generally look better than guys in sweatpants. Therefore, if a guy in a suit tells you something, it's not really as good of an idea as you think it is. He's also not as competent or hard working as you think he is. To combat this, you should try harder to find faults in the well dressed. Hence, never trust a man in a suit.

beachstartup 13y ago
no, to combat this, you need to wear a nicer suit. if you are in a room full of suits and you are wearing casual clothes, you better own the fucking company or nobody is going to listen to a damn thing you're saying. the suit makes others, and yourself more authoritative, even to yourself. this is a highly social activity/phenomenon you're describing, you can't just power through and ignore it because you know how computers work.
- rprospero 13y ago
  I'm sorry. I guess that I didn't make myself clear. I meant that distrusting people in suits should be used along side wearing one. You're absolutely right that this is a universal social bias that you can't erase simply through an act of will. Everyone will judge you on your appearance and you need act accordingly. However, if you don't try to overcome your own bias, you're ignoring people for no good reason. To put it differently, the first lesson you should learn from Monster Cable is that, with proper marketing, you can get people to pay $60 for a $1 cable. However, the second lesson you shouldn't buy Monster Cable.
chatmasta 13y ago
Why are people in Silicon Valley so against suits? I like dressing up. I look damn good in a suit and I want to wear one every day.
- jodrellblank 13y ago
  Of course you do. And because our natural tendency is to think "you look damn good in a suit, you must be competent and valuable", we need to watch out for that effect in ourselves so we don't unwittingly bias ourselves into making bad decisions. Y'know, as the article spent pages and pages explaining.
- glenra 13y ago
  Suits tend to be uncomfortable (mainly, they're too hot to wear in the summer, don't fit well if your body size fluctuates), are fragile and easily get damaged or stained or rumpled (eg, you can't casually sit on the grass wearing one) and are expensive and annoying to clean (you can't just toss them in a washer/dryer). So there's a bimodal equilibrium. If you don't own anything that's dry-clean-only or requires pressing, it is a real pain in the ass to deal with one or two items that are. Whereas I suppose if nearly everything you wear is dry-clean-only, you evolve a very different set of habits such that it doesn't seem like a big deal to take care of a suit. If you only wear a suit once or twice a year, it's not worth getting it re-tailored to fit you well or getting one perfectly matched for the seasonal weather...so when you DO wear it, you're wearing something that doesn't fit well and is too cold or too hot, which makes you less inclined to wear one often.

beachstartup 13y ago

no, to combat this, you need to wear a nicer suit. if you are in a room full of suits and you are wearing casual clothes, you better own the fucking company or nobody is going to listen to a damn thing you're saying. the suit makes others, and yourself more authoritative, even to yourself. this is a highly social activity/phenomenon you're describing, you can't just power through and ignore it because you know how computers work.

rprospero 13y ago
I'm sorry. I guess that I didn't make myself clear. I meant that distrusting people in suits should be used along side wearing one. You're absolutely right that this is a universal social bias that you can't erase simply through an act of will. Everyone will judge you on your appearance and you need act accordingly. However, if you don't try to overcome your own bias, you're ignoring people for no good reason. To put it differently, the first lesson you should learn from Monster Cable is that, with proper marketing, you can get people to pay $60 for a $1 cable. However, the second lesson you shouldn't buy Monster Cable.

chatmasta 13y ago

Why are people in Silicon Valley so against suits? I like dressing up. I look damn good in a suit and I want to wear one every day.

jodrellblank 13y ago
Of course you do. And because our natural tendency is to think "you look damn good in a suit, you must be competent and valuable", we need to watch out for that effect in ourselves so we don't unwittingly bias ourselves into making bad decisions. Y'know, as the article spent pages and pages explaining.
glenra 13y ago
Suits tend to be uncomfortable (mainly, they're too hot to wear in the summer, don't fit well if your body size fluctuates), are fragile and easily get damaged or stained or rumpled (eg, you can't casually sit on the grass wearing one) and are expensive and annoying to clean (you can't just toss them in a washer/dryer). So there's a bimodal equilibrium. If you don't own anything that's dry-clean-only or requires pressing, it is a real pain in the ass to deal with one or two items that are. Whereas I suppose if nearly everything you wear is dry-clean-only, you evolve a very different set of habits such that it doesn't seem like a big deal to take care of a suit. If you only wear a suit once or twice a year, it's not worth getting it re-tailored to fit you well or getting one perfectly matched for the seasonal weather...so when you DO wear it, you're wearing something that doesn't fit well and is too cold or too hot, which makes you less inclined to wear one often.