Do It with Dignity. . .

Few men today come across more dignified in their attire and behavior than cardiologist Dr. Andre Churchwell on the left, or Italian clothing and style mogul Luciano Barbera on the right. No one could accuse either man of lacking passion, depth, intensity, or humor when it comes to their respective lives and vocations, making both worthy of emulation in my book.

The concept of dignity, when it is thought of at all these days, seems to get a bad rap in many quarters. Clearly, too many people perceive dressing and behaving with dignity as somehow dull, flat, lifeless, without color, and lacking in passion. They, therefore, go so far in the other direction with their appearance and what can only politely be called 'behavior' that there seems to be little hope for us as a society sometimes.

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines the term dignity like this:

1: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed

2a : high rank, office, or position b : a legal title of nobility or honor

3 archaic : dignitary

4: formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language

While that's a bit of a mouthful, who among us would not want to come across as worthy, esteemed, and (when necessary) serious among our family, friends, and professional acquaintances? The Dignified Devil website provides a number of excellent (and humorous) illustration on how to dress and conduct ourselves with greater dignity. Check it out by clicking on this link: Dignified Devil. Be sure to scroll down through all of the examples of dignified versus undignified dress and activities.

I don't know about you, but I'll risk coming across as slightly more staid in the sea of reality TV-inspired "boys" flooding the landscape currently by opting for a more dignified appearance and demeanor. Any day. And that's something other average guys, who want to kick their own style a few rungs up the sartorial (and social) ladder, would do well to consider too.

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