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| Your Image. Who are you? | Started by: Red_Rabbit on Aug 20, '08 09:41 |
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I'm the obnoxious loud guy in the quiet romantic restaurant. I'm the quiet reserved guy who wants to tell him to shut up but I'm too shy to say so. I'm the annoying new guy who keeps pestering you. I'm the bitter old guy who's had enough. I'm the hateful cynic who loves to knock you down. I'm the fun-loving optimist who loves to have a laugh. I can be anyone. It all depends on how I want people to see me. I, ladies and gentlemen, have been thinking about personality. And what better way to vent my vague and often incoherent line of thought than in the streets?! I like to think I keep my wits about me on my visits to the street. I act respectful to those of higher rank than me, particularly those with power, and I voice my opinion in a way that it can be respected but hopefully not ignored. I mean, I'll admit, since joining the mob I've not been the most vocal of people out here in these judgmental parts but you've seen worse and I've cared less. It isn't hypocritical at all of me to talk about building an image when I hardly have one at the moment so first person to mention that gets a punch in the face from Ruckus. Onwards! You'd think that in a world that revolves around word of mouth and status, personality would be a HUGE thing. Well, you thought right. Pat yourself on the back. Most of what people will think of you will be based off how you present yourself. Particularly in the streets. If you walk into the room quivering like a leaf and sweating like a gimp in a sauna, you can bet your ass people aren't gonna be impressed. It's all about who you are. I'm gonna be honest; there is a lot of personality on the streets. There's Tea Time, which absolutely reeks of it. Props to them for their cynically clever publication that delights our street regularly. There's the various storytellers who don't get tired of re-telling the stories of the things their fathers once did. There's the crewleaders who spread wisdom and powerful words throughout. There is personality all around. It all boils down to you though with the main point being, how do you want to come across? In the past we've seen the various personalities. Their have been the cool guys, with their resonating one-liners, always ready to put that comment in that will have the women swooning and the men abruptly filled with jealousy. Their have been the serious ones, filled to the brim with knowledge of our business and quick to use it at any opportunity. Their have even been the downright strange ones. You probably don't even realize it but most of you are probably quick to judge and/or label based on their actions in the streets. So how do you hone your self-image into something spectacular? Or at least acceptable. Mediocrity isn't all that bad. It's simply, really. Three easy steps. 1. Know your place. Being an Earner, I have to watch what I say. I work for the family. I'm not officially part of it yet and if I really want to be, I'd better not be caught mouthing off at a Capo. It would strongly benefit both your health and your image if you kept things on a respectful level between yourself and other mobsters, especially those who pull a bit of weight in this world. You could find yourselves in their good favour quite quickly if you do so. On the other hand, however, you can just as easily slip up and find yourself without hands. Or legs. Or a face. Depending on how sadistic your hitters are. 2. Know what you're talking about. This is very, very important. Strolling in like your the coolest guy since Miles Davis is one thing, what you actually contribute to the conversation is another. If you have no idea what you're talking about, I'd recommend you kept your mouth shut. The last thing you want is to come across as an idiot because as I mentioned earlier, people will be quick to label you one. If you find yourself in the position where you feel you can contribute something of value to the discussion, don't be afraid to. You're probably confident for a reason. Often the most successful people in this world are the ones who get their opinions heard. As long as you're not talking complete shit, that's going to get you very far. 3. Know who you're talking to. It's not a great use of your time to explain the meaning of omerta at great depth to FlyingPig. I'd bet DrFeelgood's left nut he already knows everything you could tell him and more. Your day would be wasted if you wrote up a comprehensive leadership guide for Iris because, trust me, she's had more experience in this business than every one of your relatives combined plus two. You'd be amazed at the amount of times people have stated the obvious and hoped it would come off as a valid opinion. An opinion is something you believe in, not something memorized, recited or mimicked. Let whoever you're conversing with know who YOU are and what YOU stand for but remember who you're talking to and keep it on a level that they can be interested in. Don't tell us about your picnic in the park. Say something that will engage whoever you're speaking to. If you're not bothered enough to listen to anything I've just said, I'll leave you with this piece of advice: Don't be the epileptic at the disco party. You're not doing yourself a favour. Present yourself well and build an image that can be respected. It'll get you far. |
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I'm pretty sure you have been intercepting my mail and using it as inspiration for your street speeches. Not many days ago, a young immigrant approached me and asked me how he could gain respect in the mafia. I mentioned a wide array of things. For starters, learn how things work. You can hardly progress in the world if you are ignorant to its workings. The Mafia Bible is essential for this purpose. I mentioned that he should master every trade. There is more to our life than just breaking other mobsters out of the joint. There is more to it than shooting bums who crime on our patch. There is more to it than networking. The mobster who wants to become great must master every aspect...this led me to my final point and the topic of your speech. Finally, the mobster must become known in order to earn respect. How can you respect someone when you do not know a thing about him or her? And the way to do this is to be seen out in the streets. However, a mobster should not become overly eager and rush out into the streets spouting shit in order to gain some credibility. As you mentioned, there are several bystanders ready to slap a "i r tarded" sticker on their foreheads in an instant. All the other things I mentioned should be endeavored before engaging in "too much" street interaction. This is tricky, because we encourage everyone to step out in the street and talk, but it is against their best interests to do so if they make themselves look foolish. My advice is to shut the fuck up and figure out what is going on and how things work before you attempt to earn street credibility. It really shouldn't take very long if you are a smart person who works hard and pays attention. Then again, you have some folks who walk the street for years and still do not know what the fuck they are talking about. It boils down to not losing sight of the nature of our business. That's harder to do than you might think. Sometimes we stray so far from the foundations of La Cosa Nostra that we begin to think of these divergences as the norm, rather than the subversive. Voicing an opinion is one thing, but we must remember that not everything is subject to opinion. Not everything is subjective. In many things, there is a right and a wrong viewpoint, plain and simple. You can say something like "I do not believe it is improper for a Mademan to leave his Don and join another Boss if he is unhappy with his family". You can believe that all day, but you would be wrong. Voicing an opinion in such a manner is going to earn you that "Tard" sticker on your forehead, so like the Rabbit says, learn before you say too much. |
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| Reply by: FlyingPig at Aug 20, '08 22:29 | |
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| (All this should be in the Bible. Very important) | |
| Reply by: Czar at Aug 20, '08 23:08 | |
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I have been in this industry long enough to have seen every two-bit hack who thinks he's the shit. Well, if you've seen one you've seen 'em all. But I have my own principle, which I keep to myself, unless I feel the the need to make it known. (like now, for example) And my advice is this: Cut the bull-shit. You're not gonna get anywhere if you're gonna lie to your bosses, so you sure as hell ain't gonna get anywhere if you lie to yourself. Play it cool and, even though this is the most over-repeated piece of advice ever, BE YOURSELF. So many obnoxious, on-the-make so-and-so's have ended up with a bullet in their skull for mouthing off and trying to act like they're the next Godfather. Play it cool. |
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| Reply by: ArcaneFyre at Aug 21, '08 01:43 | |
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As tiring as that simple phrase may seem, it sticks true to this day. It is unbelievably easy to tell when someone is trying to be something they're clearly not, especially when it comes to turning words into actions. To avoid complications, watch what you say and don't run away with your words. Be yourself, think about what you're saying, and think about the possible repercussions of saying it. Everyone is entitled to having their own opinion. It's the smart ones who know when to voice it and how. This is the mafia, after all, and without showing a little bit of decency towards the chain of command, order and structure would fall apart. |
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| Reply by: Parker at Aug 22, '08 23:45 | |
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Lord Spermington III is very impressed with this big talking rabbit and has decided thusly to not kill, bleed, skin, cut up, cook and eat him. An intelligent rabbit is after all, a very rare thing and should be cherished as such. I found all these words spoken by the talking rabbit very interesting and I know exactly how he feels, as a new comer to these streets I have spent my time mainly reading for fear of appearing foolish, saying something I shouldn't. This is not to say that I am not foolish or a fool, I am probably both but so far it would appear that I have started off in the right way. Kudos to me. I'm full of opinions and stuffs to say and eventually I will come out and say them, you can then all voice your opinions of me, throw cabbage at my head and brand me whatever names you so choose. Thank you talking rabbit, that was most interesting. Lord Spermington III wishes he had something meatier to say with a bit depth but it would appear that the talking rabbit has pretty much covered everything that needed to be said, damn that rascally rabbit. |
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| Reply by: Lord_Spermington_III at Aug 24, '08 10:59 | |
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