John Ruskin on Braids

[dorothea-brooke]

I just came across this in my reading today (John Ruskin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ruskin) on economic theory :yawn:), and thought LHCers might get a kick out of it.

This is from an address he made to young women in 1865. And yes, the talk is generally full of horrifying Victorian misogyny.... But I love this part where he uses tidy hair as metaphor for a well-regulated mind:

"Try to get strength of heart enough to look yourself fairly in the face in mind as well as body. I do not doubt but that the mind is a less pleasant thing to look at than the face, and for that very reason it needs more looking at; so always have two mirrors on your toilet table, and see that with proper care you dress body and mind before them daily. After the dressing is once over for the day, think no more about it: as your hair will blow about your ears, so your temper and thoughts will get ruffled with the day's work, and may need, sometimes, twice dressing; but I don't want you to carry about a mental pocket-comb; only to be smooth braided always in the morning."

MODS: Please move this if you think it's off-topic! It is hair-related, but I wasn't sure.... :flower:

[LeaM07]

Heh, nice metaphor. Mine unfortunately feels not so much "smooth braided" as something from the "Boom!" thread. :silly:

[Islandgrrl]

I suppose, then, that HAIR ON FIRE would be a bad thing?

[Euphony]

hahaha I'm ADHD...my mind is about where my hair would be if I hadn't found LHC and didn't take care of my hair like I do now. I had a psych teacher in high school explain my mind as bouncing all over the place, so my hair would be everywhere and a frizzy, freaky mess!

[Elenna]

Another Victorian fan!

John Ruskin was very influential art/architecture author.

As for the misogyny, no wonder why his marriage to Euphemia failed.

[Stagecoach]

Interesting. And those ideas are still held today by some... I've recieved lots of comments on my YouTube videos along the lines of how buns respresent the person making them so I must be ----. It's kinda weird sometimes! Like I just got a comment recently by someone who said I represented the spiritual aspect behind a neat bun very well. ????? I can't figure out WHAT spiritual message a bun could possibly have!

[Little_Bird]

That sounds pretty and is logycall :) Only the fact that my braid gets fuzzy over the day gets my mind messed up :p

[dorothea-brooke]

All these responses are so funny -- y'all crack me up! :flower:

I personally feel that if I can miraculously keep my hair neat and smooth, then my thoughts definitely follow suit. :grin:

dorothea

[Elenna]

So wild, wurly hair means a wild, unruly mind?

I'm over educated and over logical too.

I think a person can tame their mind, but (unless using unnatural heat, chemicals, etc) taming hair is becoming much more difficult than the mind.

Remember Mr. Spock, he did a Vulcan Mind Melt to control another person's mind. So total mind control is possible when you are a Vulcan.

[intothemist1999]

So wild, wurly hair means a wild, unruly mind?


When I was still living at home, I was rushing out the door to school and my great uncle was over. He took one look at my hair and exclaimed, "you look like a WILD woman!" I know he meant it not so much in regards of living condition, but more my mental state!


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