What a girl with class needs to do
LEGENDARY fashion icon Coco Chanel once said: “A girl should only be two things, classy and fabulous.”
When this is in place all else emanates naturally. Look and feel your best at all times, even when no one is watching. Being genuine to yourself renders you genuinely naturally to others.
As human beings we have a built-in mechanism to detect, quite quickly and effectively, that which is not genuine and may be even dishonest.
This is according to evolutionary theory, an early warning system, which protects the individual from danger and possible demise.
We call it instinct. A chemical, biological and mind process. You are hardly going to be classy and fabulous if you are not genuine.
A girl must remain distant from being intrusive and conceited. William Thackeray’s satire, Vanity Fair, portrays the main character, Rebecca Sharp, through cynicism, conceit and social lubrication, lured and charmed upper-class men to gain much sought-after wealth, social position and prestige.
She used her immense beauty and caricature-drawing talent to ensnare and get what she wanted at all cost. In her own words: “Appear to be humble and appear to be uninterested.”
Rebecca Sharp was insincere. Most men who came into her grasp ended up having their knees begin to sag.
Certainly not classy and fabulous as a woman should be. She had it all, but in the end, without happiness and fulfilment. Rebecca Sharp had a dream but took a short cut.
The late US Senator John McCain, when asked by a journalist how he felt when he lost the US presidential election to Barack Obama, said: “Like a baby, drink milk, sleep, wake up and cry, drink milk, sleep, wake up and cry.”
He was gutted, being a white Republican, with over four decades of experience, God-fearing and highly confident.
He faced off with Chicago University law professor with an Islamic surname, Barack Hussein Obama.
However, he congratulated Obama and wished him well. What McCain did was move on swiftly.
He went on to publish at least four brilliant books on his life and politics. Girls need to do this. Never do an egg dance around issues and call a spade a spade. McCain was genuine in his response and he gave credit where it was due, although it was painful. He continues to contribute in politics today.
Recognise others for their contribution and achievements and then be the first to admit an error or a wrong and never make heavy weather of displaying gratitude. All of these build character.
When you have a moment of brilliance in thinking and analysis of issues be lucid about it, you might benefit others. This is how great ideas, inventions and theories have emerged.
A girl must be educated and trained just like Rebecca Sharp, who was the best caricature-drawer of her time. This came through painstaking work, perseverance and experience.
She became the best in her field. This is what every girl should do. Get into a career and become the best in it. Eighteenth-century writer Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice, started to read books from her Oxfordeducated father’s library at the age of seven.
Her books are captivating and relevant today. She read, she read and she read.
A girl must have a lifelong bucket list in mind. Some of the following could be ideas for that bucket list.
Get a basic working knowledge about the physics of the universe, a starting understanding about Darwin’s theory of evolution and our origins, Edwin Hubble’s macro universe and some tenets about artificial intelligence.
Have abundant fun and laughter and take in some of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, works of Einstein, the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud the military genius of Alexander the Great and the extent of the atrocities committed by Ghengis Khan.
Imbibe that mastering language. It is the key to understanding mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and architecture, among other things.
The key is master the language through reading and reading widely. Take a leaf out of the life of former public protector Thuli Madonsela.
Her husband died when their children were young. She went on to become professor of law, in Time Magazine’s Top 100 people in 2014, Forbes’ person of the year and other accolades.
What I see etched on her face is hard work, perseverance and modesty, repeatedly. What she does very well is to take criticism in her stride.
Madonsela is classy and fabulous through and through, just as Coco Chanel said.
It takes a lady to make men around her behave like gentlemen. To become a lady requires good deportment, etiquette and decorum.
A woman never raises her voice and her hands and does not remain passive. Such women are naturally classy and fabulous.
“Dance like no one is watching, work like you don’t need the money and love like you have never been hurt.” Above all else, stay safe.