One of the oddest correlates of academia is the adoption of full facial hair, the wilder the better, among a substantial portion of the aging male professoriate. For some reason (because they can thanks to tenure?), well-paid men on campus with PhDs, especially those in their fifties, sixties, and beyond, can often be seen sporting wild beards and wild hair - a look that is also popular among the homeless. Some anonymous wag at the University of Toronto has put together a quiz, challenging the reader to make the call: prof or hobo. Take the quiz here: Prof or Hobo? - Quiz
8 of 10. And I still can't believe the two I missed. I want to check references! For some people, the keeping up of appearances is done to secure from others what they need and want. But if that need doesn't exist anymore, the person is free to express him/herself in appearance. In the military, I didn't have a choice, In my years in the private sector, there were always clients to appeal to. Even the last 5 years working as a civil servant, I spent most of that time with an eye on how I was fitting into the system. It's only been the last two years--when I've been concentrating on something else I'm working on instead of my career--that it has no longer mattered. I find that I still dress to the same level of quality and my grooming has remained the same. But I'm much more casual, often foregoing a tie, or wearing a sports jacket when I would have worn a suit in times past. But I may be leaving government in the near future and returning to the private sector, so it will mean a trip to the haberdashery to suit back up. That said, you should see what some people wear who clearly don't need to impress anyone anymore in government. Oh, my.
It was extremely hard for me to identify them; maybe because I completed my undergraduate degree via distance learning and only 1 year on campus for my Master degrees. Therefore, my score was only 6/10; according to the grading system I received an "F" for this quiz. Unless they have grading curve system, and then I might pass the Professor and Hobo quiz.
8/10 for me! You won't see this prof sporting a beard. I HATE shaving, but I HATE having facial hair even more. -Matt
