Everyone has heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Many people use this idiom to say that it is easier to show something in a picture than it is to describe it with words. While this is definitely true, I believe there is another way to interpret this phrase in that the pictures we are presenting to the world can communicate a thousand words. As in all uses of communication, it is best for us to be in control of what we are communicating about ourselves. So how do we manage what the “pictures” in our life communicate about us?

Picture this: your boss comes into work with messy hair, bags under his eyes, an extra large cup of coffee, and a stack of papers two feet high. How do you interpret that image? Most people would look at that image and say that person is stressed and tired and we should do things to make his life easier rather than harder today. Even though your boss looks rough, you would likely interpret this as a bad day rather than a sloppy person. Similarly, when you go on a first date and it is clear that your date dressed up, planned a nice restaurant, and took an extra step like getting a haircut, you will interpret that that person cares a lot about the success of this date and is interested in you. 

Both of the examples I used above had easy to read pictures with clear correct answers for how people would perceive the images. This concept gets messy when there is more gray area in the images you put out. A great example from a teacher perspective is how students present themselves when they are tired. Oftentimes, older students who are experiencing exhaustion can display images of boredom, depression, sloppiness, or anger. When a student comes in with a hood up over his head and a general disinterest in being around other people, it is hard to tell if he is tired, angry, or many other emotions that could fit that behavior. While some people might understand that this person is tired, others might believe that the person is being disrespectful or might be angry with him. There are a lot of similar situations that occur every day. Most non-confrontational people will never bring up if they feel that the person is being disrespectful, and that perception will never be corrected, but it will shape how people think about the person in question.

This same thought can be applied to all of the images we portray of ourselves. Whether it is more of a snapshot of a moment in our life, or an actual image we share online, people are hearing a thousand words. Sometimes their interpretation is spot on, and other times it is very inaccurate. We cannot fix what people think about us in their heads, but we can do more to control the images we put out into the world. When we are putting out positive, strong, responsible images, there is less chance for misinterpretation. Think about what your image says about you. If you look at yourself, and you don’t think what you want others to think about you, you should take the time to fix it. You are completely in control of how you portray yourself to the world. Make sure the image they see is a good one.

-       Bria