A standard is a model to strive for?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

"Golden hands", "nerves of steel", "platinum gray hair", "flight of thought" - these expressions are figurative, used to enhance the expressiveness of speech. They do not mean at all that the imagination actually flies through the sky like a bird, and that jewelry can be made from limbs or hair. There are other examples of the use of scientific and technical terms to characterize personal qualities. For example, "standard". This concept means a role model, and the closer the evaluated object approaches it, the better. Is it always fair? Let's try to figure it out.

Scientific standard as a prototype of the concept

In order to correctly and appropriately use any term, even in a figurative sense, it must be understood correctly. The original meaning of the word "standard" can be defined as a certain object that most closely matches the established weight, volume or geometric parameter.

Before the introduction of the metric system, various other units of measurement were used (and in some places this is still the case) throughout the world. Russian arshins, versts, sazhens were familiar to our ancestors; the British were fine with pints, inches, and yards; and in exoticcountries and confusion reigned. There is a case when an Englishwoman explained to a child the meaning of the word "liter". According to her, it turned out that this is the same as a kilogram, only when wet. And so humanity decided to unify weights and measures. We decided that if we divide the equator into 40 thousand parts, then it will be a meter, and the weight of a square decimeter of water will be called a kilogram. True, it turned out later that at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the historical transition was basically taking place, the measuring technique was not quite perfect, so the initial assumptions were also not ideal. But by this time the standards were settled, and they decided to leave everything as it is. In addition, each of the units already had its own standard. This circumstance influenced the completion of further research and measurements.

Forward to unification

That's all true, but what does the metal bars and cylinders stored under glass jars in various laboratories of respected scientific institutions around the world have to do with assessing a person's personality? “After all, they cannot be measured in numbers,” some say. “You can,” others say. The fact is that people, on the basis of many thousands of years of civilizational and cultural experience, have formed ideas about what a standard of appearance, behavior and even a way of thinking is. Of course, the standards of different peoples, races and social strata are different. Also, they change over time. And besides, everyone has their own idea of what is beautiful, smart and honest. But the common features are still visible.

Reference husband

Women mostly thinkthat the appearance of their future chosen one should be courageous. By this they mean broad shoulders, regular facial features, expressing some (but moderate) brutality, and above average height. Brought up on visible television images, the representatives of the beautiful half of the world's population are sure that if someone looks brave, then most likely he is. How many broken destinies were the fault of the standard inspired by mass culture! This can be a cruel lesson to anyone who judges a book by its cover. However, matches also happen.

Exemplary wife

Men also do not differ for the most part in the desire for a deep knowledge of their future chosen one. There are standards that the majority aspires to, and they are expressed by the common formula 90-60-90 (again, numbers are a kind of standard). This is also not always fair in relation to other, less “formatted” women, who sometimes have a much more meaningful inner world. The reason is that it is impossible to evaluate the soul by direct application, and other methods are not available to everyone. This is much more difficult than measuring the equator.

Cultural References

Striving for formats is one of the reasons why modern culture is losing ground. Each time has its own standard. It could be Venus de Milo or Marilyn Monroe, Alain Delon or Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Madonna, Britney Spears or Lady Gaga. Determining for himself a model to which he wants to strive, a fan oftendraws attention to the appearance of the idol more than his achievements in the main business of his life. True connoisseurs of creativity are more interested in the works that an outstanding artist managed to create in his life. The desire to become similar often causes irony, and sometimes laughter. After all, everyone lives their own life, and no matter how hard you try to get closer to the standard, it is impossible to become one.