A Part of My Hair

Right-Side Part = Awkward; Left-Side Part = Superhero

What does a haircut say about a person? Maybe more than you realize. There is no doubt that a person's choice in hair reflects how they are seen, or how they wish to be seen, (just ask the cast of the Jersey Shore,) but is there a deeper psychological aspect to our doo? Is your hair messy because you just can't be bothered, or are you so vain that you have invested in a hairmut? (It has extra room so you don't mess up your hair-doo.) How does hair affect our patterns of behavior overtime? Is it an influencing factor? I will explain what I mean, but let me start this off by saying that I hate my hair.

It drys out like straw the minute it touches natural or unnatural light (or even a light shade,) and its incredibly hard to manage let alone settle on a style that fits my rather plain and rounded face. If I had a nicer shaped head I would consider going bald, but let's face it, the only kind of white guys who can get away with a shaved head are people in the military or people who have a penchant for burning religious artifacts on other people's lawns. The best style I can usually manage is a half-hearted middle-part that follows the natural contours of my head, but it's far from a perfect solution. On some days when it gets too dry, it makes me look like a carrot. On other days, I sort of look like Wolverine. Sometimes it even turns into a weird Egon Spengler look (The old cartoon, not Harold Ramis.) When it gets long, bed-head or hat-hair often gets too hard to comb out or shake down, and I am forced to just settle for a hat, which I do frequently. Worst yet, my nondescript haircut tends to be up for grabs at the whim of any barber I sit down in front of. I try to explain to them what I want, but in the end, my hair just kind of turns out to be a Picasso painting... In other words, it's usually just left up to everyone's own interpretation.

The many moods of my hair.

For the most part I have resigned myself to my hairy fate, but during the summer I found myself attending a superhero costume party at a bar in my local area. Going as Clark Kent/Superman I took a cue from Christopher Reeves' Superman and moved my part to the left side of my head. When I looked in the mirror, I was surprised to see that I liked what I saw, (which is a rare enough occasion in my life.) The style stayed for the night, with the help of some heavy gel, but getting the left side part to happen naturally has been a process and a battle of less-than-epic proportions. Several months later I now think I have finally maneuvered my follicles into place, and no one has noticed. Now this is not really a problem for me, after all I do not want you to think I'm vain (I am vain, but I don't want you to think that it.) It's only hair right?

Well during my research for my new style, I found one very interesting theory on the Man of Steels' doo (that sounds dirty). In the Christopher Reeves incarnation, Clark Kent has a part of the right side of his head, but Superman has his hair parted on the left side of his head. This of course raises questions of whether Superman carries gel and a comb with him everywhere he goes or does he just use his super breath to freeze it in place? (We may never know what goes on in that phone booth.) We must also ask, how different are the two hair styles.

While researching my superhero haircut, (which sounds like the name of an awesome barber shop I wish existed,) I came across the Hair Part Theory, created by John and Catherine Walter. It is a particularly weird and interesting theory of social interaction that simply states: The way a person parts their hair is related to many subconscious associations when assessed by others. Each hair part type initiates cycles of behavior toward, and response from, the individual. Over time, these cycles affect personality development, perpetuating a system of cumulative and interactional continuity.

Men who part their hair on the right-side (like Clark Kent) have an unnatural and awkward look. The right-side part is said to lead to an unusual appearance, even social shunning. One example given of a right-side part is Al Gore. On the other hand, the left-side hair part (like Superman) is considered more natural. Men with a left-side part are supposed to be seen as being strong, traditional, and successful. Some examples given are John Wayne and John F. Kennedy. The theory also states that men with a center-part (like my old haircut) are perceived by others to be natural, wise, and trustworthy, but also a bit boring... The theory also goes on to talk about the effect of a mirror on the appearance of a hair-part and to talk about how it is possible that by parting your hair one way or another can reflect which side of your brain you are choosing to emphasis. It gets surprisingly in-depth and there is even a hair-part blog that people can follow. Personally, I don't know how convinced I am of the complete rightness of the theory, but it is enough to make a guy pause a moment in his mirror in the morning.

At the heart of the theory is the notion that, how we portray ourselves (specifically through our hair choices) is reinforced by society and reflected back at us. We become caught in a cycle of society and self. For instance, if I walk around in a police uniform, society may think I am a cop and treat me accordingly. The more that happens, the more I may feel like a police officer and the more I will reinforce that belief through my actions... and that was how I wound up on probation that one time... but really this is nothing new, right? Women change their hair every week to impress people, but it's more than that. The Walters' theory states that we choose the hair based upon an unconscious need to showcase some aspect of our personalities. Thus, Clark Kent's right-side part is putting a more negative and awkward vibe and we see that reflected by society. Whereas, Superman is putting out a more positive and stronger vibe with his right-side parted hair and it is also reflected back at him by society.

New hair style. (Vain? Me? Nah...)

So really, what does this all mean about me? Am I subconsciously trying to trick people into thinking I am something I am not? Am I just portraying an aspect of my personality that has been buried and hidden all this time? Have I finally transformed into the person I have always wanted to become? Or did I just choose a different hair style after more than fifteen years of wearing the same old one? I suppose that is up to interpretation. Ultimately, any way we dress, look, style, etc affects how we are perceived and is most likely driven by some need to be seen in a certain way. Yet, I cannot believe that is the end-all and be-all of our personalities or our interactions.

Is simply changing the direction of a hair part enough allow Superman to be perceived as two people. Maybe, but there is more to it, (and though I do not agree with a lot of the choices that got made in those older Superman movies, I do have to give Christopher Reeves' props for his portrayal of the Clark Kent/Superman split.) The Superman/Clark Kent split works only because each person in that dichotomy is essentially a different person with their own personalities, traits, and posture. They talk different, look different, and most importantly, act different.

Even the theory itself states that the effects of right-side or left-side part can ultimately be nullified by the personality type of the man wearing it. So really, your appearance is just that, it is how you appear; and hair is nothing more than a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis, according to Wikipedia. Our hair define us as mammals, but maybe it does not define us as individuals. Who you are is comprised of so many more things, and maybe we should all worry less about whether our hair makes us more like Clark Kent or Superman and more about how our actions align us (I'm lawful good). After all, as a friend of mine, Basil, once explained to me, "I keep my hair cut short, I stay shaved, I dress normal, and I let what I do define who I am."

So basically, the moral of this blog... I got a new hair style...