A Blog About Making Culture
Hair Theory
March 2, 2004
It wasn't until well after I graduated high school that I started to understand the point of combing my hair. I had somehow gotten the idea that the purpose of combing was to push the hair on my head into different places so it looked like the hair on the heads of people I wanted to emulate.
The epiphany, of course, was that the right way to comb my hair was to understand where my hair naturally wanted to go, where the part would lie on its own, and then to organize the hair in a way that flattered its natural tendencies. Let the hair do what it is inclined to, and then make the end result as functional as possible.
Similarly, it wasn't until well after I'd moved to New York as an adult and gone to a fancy hair salon that I understood the purpose of a good hair cut. I had previously thought a haircut was about keeping hair from getting unruly, taming the length and mass, and punishing unruly strands by truncating them. A good hairstylist made me realize that he'd observe the way my hair grew on its own and then cut the hair so that its growth pattern conformed to an overall plan. I still don't go to hair salons regularly (I was raised going to a five-dollar barber, and I suspect I might already be too old to completely break the habit.) but when I do I'm always amazed at the results. I can wake up in the morning, even with my legendarily unruly hair, and I don't really have to do anything, it's vaguely in place already.
And then finally, it wasn't until just the past few months that I realized people are like hair, and organizing groups of people is like a haircut. People will do what they want, and some of them will be unruly stragglers, and trying to push them where they don't want to go will always fail in the long term. The best thing you can ever really do is to just try to shape their natural tendencies into something presentable and eventually you'll end up with the most satisfying result.
Previously: A city covered in coasters
Next: Ice, Ice Baby
brianstorms weblog
From Haircuts to Orkuts: Anil Dash presents his Hair Theory of organizing groups of people. The things one comes across in blogs...... read more »eveninghawk links
of hair and haircuts: I was truly pleased to read about Anil Dash's Hair Theory. If you know me, you know that my hair is something that both amazes and frustrates me, and people seemed compelled to touch it. Granted, I'm usually pretty nice about it if you ask firs... read more »cc Quicklinks
Hair Cuts as Organizing Theory: http://www.dashes.com/anil/2004/03/02/hair_theory read more ».NET From India
Are People like Hair??: Anil Dash has quite a interesting comparison of People and Hair.. Interesting point of view.. read more »dark entries
hair theory: i would be much happier if i could put this notion to use in my own endeavors read more »Musings of an Iconoclast : tarun's weblog
A freaking hair theory: "...that I realized people are like hair, and organizing groups of people is like a haircut." via Anil Dash... read more »Through The Wire
Anil Dash's Hair Theory: Anil Dash's "hair theory": And then finally, it wasn't until just the past few months that I realized people are like hair, and organizing groups of people is like a haircut. People will do what they want, and some of them will be unruly stragglers, a... read more »Dewayne and Shadow his Webdog
People are like hair: Another Great post from Anil Dash. This is a great idea for how to organize groups of people. You need to understand the style of all of the people in the group and then you can organize and motivate read more »Geof
Perhaps. Theory X management does get a bad rap. Some folks want/need to be told what to do because they don’t want to think for themselves. Sure, knowledge workers prefer Theory Y management, but … hey.
Wait, it’s too early to be talking about management theory … and hey, I really need a haircut.
Swami Prem
Nice story and analogy.
Keith A
Is this, like, a metaphor for gays in the military or something? I am sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.
Or, is this about relationships?
Sometimes I read your blog and it feels like I am watching The frigging Matrix.
Bill Seitz
And if “shaping” doesn’t work you can chop them into pieces and sweep them up with a broom!
monkeyinabox
Way to depress me… all my hair is falling off my head!!!
pb
Shaping and sculpting is all well and good, but sometimes you just need to gel and mousse people into submission. ;)
Jeff
I’m bald. So, using your analogy I am starting to think the world has abandoned me.
Jay Allen
Jeff, perhaps it’s better stated that you are an individualist who can go it alone? Of course, my head is shaved, so it all depends on your perspective. :-)
Ezra
Let’s hear it for unruly stragglers.
Lisa Williams
Have you read Alice Walker’s short essay “Oppressed Hair Puts A Ceiling on the Brain?”
A quote: “It may surprise you that I do not intend (until the question-and-answer period perhaps) to speak of war and peace, the economy, racism or sexism, or the triumphs and tribulations of black people or of women. Or even about movies. Though the discerning ear may hear my concern for some of these things in what I am about to say, I am going to talk about an issue even closer to home. I am going to talk to you about hair. Don’t give a thought to the state of yours at the moment. Don’t be at all alarmed. This is not an appraisal. I simply want to share with you some of my own experiences with our friend hair, and at the most hope to entertain and amuse you. “
You can read the whole thing at: http://www.nappyhair.com/articles/alice_walker.htm
abhishek
hmm…nice hair theory :):)
Jim
WOW! THAT ARTICLE WAS SO DEEP! LIKE, OCEANIC, DUDE!
Do you have any insights related to navel-lint?
anonymous coward
No matter how lame a blog is, there are lamer readers… good analogy for five year olds, man… way to go!
Post a comment