What Does Your Car Say About You?
Any man who has an interest in bettering himself and caring for his appearance will often consider how certain actions or implements in his life affect his presence and reputation. This is not a means to seem overbearingly self-critical, but to understand how he comes across as a social creature, and how he displays his stoic inner truth. For example, we may wish to get a full neck tattoo, but due to our high-paying job at a law firm and the wish to help clients feel at ease in our presence, unfortunately even modern-day attitudes may not find this suitable in this setting.
From the bag you wear to work to the glasses rims you choose to the means in which you greet people, everything says something about you. Do not use this as an excuse to rip into yourself and overanalyze everything. Simply consider how you might want to be viewed in order to express yourself honestly. Your car factors into this. We would suggest that without mentioning cost, your car can speak of your character in many different ways:
Form Over Function
A vehicle has its own personality. Of course, we’re not going to suggest that you add fake eyelashes to your headlights to make a ‘quirky statement’ or anything to this end. But it’s important to think about how the form might be taking precedence over function. If you wish to, you can install a false body kit, a large exhaust application, a spoiler and bumper frame, take all of the seats out of your vehicle and place racing seats within, add LEDs to the bottom of your vehicle and a novelty horn.
You could. Perhaps you even might. But that says something about you. It’s the difference between deciding on the best-used car option found through Motormill, or simply purchasing something or the specifications alone. We may think of cars with excellent fuel mileage, a comfortable driving experience and a smaller frame for nimble city driving ‘boring,’ but is it? It could be that bravado is inferior to function in every single manner.
Condition
The level of repair you keep your vehicle in is important, not only to keep it roadworthy but to make the right impression. Do you have litter all over your seats such as cardboard Starbucks cup holders, fast food bags or even a dirty gym towel that’s been on your backseat for several weeks? How does the vehicle smell? Do you clean it often? It’s these measures that show your care for items you personally utilize. That shows you are a composed person, someone who cares for themselves not because it’s visible, but because it’s for the best.
Economy
Sometimes the most expensive car does not denote wealth and excess, but a bad spending decision. Sometimes the car with the best fuel economy can signify frugality and the willingness to tailor your output to the needs you have. Additionally, a larger vehicle in a city environment might shout excess, particularly if you haven’t a family to take care of. Your car is a financial statement, and the selection you make depends on if you want to be seen to be wealthy, or to focus on becoming wealthy through sensible decision making.
Although this article can seem as though it’s suggesting you drive a boring, middling car to be as sensible as possible, this is not what we are suggesting. We simply hope that through this article, you learn that not all outward appearances are how they seem, and so opting for practicality is almost always the best option depending on your needs. We hope this decision can help you become a better, more grounded man.