“The habit doesn’t make the monk,” but it definitely helps. The soldier’s uniform, the priest’s cassock, or the schoolboy’s uniform does not make them who they are. It does, however, influence the way a person thinks and acts. It identifies him to the public.
A man is made up of both body and soul, which influence each other. Thus, the clothing a man wears influences his soul, whether it be good or bad. The same can be said for something that most men wear every day: a head of hair. Whether it be neatly trimmed or scraggly, a haircut says a lot about who a man is.
The 24/7 Uniform
Why? While a person cannot be judged simply by his haircut, it gives insight into how he thinks and conducts himself. The haircut reflects a mentality and outlook on life. It shows a willingness to display this mentality to the public.
Our Lord said, “By their fruits you shall know them.” The haircut is one of the fruits by which a person manifests how he thinks.
The Haircut Makes a Difference
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate this fact is by contrast. Take the picture below, for example.
These are U.S. Marines. The military places great importance on a professional appearance for its soldiers. Their uniform is essential to their clean, professional appearance. Their uniform also includes a uniform military hairstyle.
The military hair regulations are so important that one of the first things a recruit does upon entering is to get a haircut. Among other reasons cited for this practice is that the haircut teaches them “to pay close attention to small details and follow orders without hesitation.”
The soldier’s haircut complements his uniform and gives him a profound note of crisp professionalism, seriousness, and unity. This picture conveys the idea that these men know who they are, what they are doing, and why they fight for their ideals.
They believe that man was created for something higher than himself. Thus, they are willing to change their appearance to fight for their ideals.
Imagine if the men in the picture above had hair down to their shoulders. It would spell the end of the Marines.
How About Outside the Military?
Does the haircut matter outside of the military? The next picture illustrates a mentality at odds with the military.
This is an example of a “Mohawk haircut.” This haircut, with many variations, has become increasingly common in society.
What Happened?
This haircut suggests that the person is rebelling against society and order. The person becomes the determinant of what is acceptable and what is not. The aim is to shock and stand out by the ugliness and brutality of the style.
This haircut rejects the fact that its wearer is made of both body and soul. It seems to say that a higher objective order of the good, true, and beautiful does not exist and therefore “God does not exist!” Every person is his own god and any authority or custom contrary to him must be rejected. This haircut is ugly and disorderly. There is no higher purpose or crisp professionalism as seen in the Marines. It is very self-centered.
The Fruit of a Society Without Order
The comparison of the two haircuts reflects a society in crisis.
In the book Return to Order: From Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society—Where We Have Been, How We Got Here and Where We Need to Go, author John Horvat II explains that society is destroyed by hectic lifestyles, the breakdown of the family, and the abandonment of God and His law. This decay is manifested in ambiences, customs, and manners of presenting oneself.
He proposes “a return to those God-given institutions and principles that naturally regulate society and put it back in balance. This presupposes a practice of the cardinal virtues and a great love for God.”
The ordering of his soul will naturally give rise to the ordering of his body.
Thus, the result of this restoration will be an order that will be reflected in everything—even in haircuts. In this sense, haircuts matter.
So what about your haircut? Does it reflect who you are? Our Lord said, “By their fruits you shall know them.” The haircut is one of the fruits of a person’s thoughts.
Photo Credit: © Vladimirs Koskins – stock.adobe.com
Photo Credit: The American TFP Photo Archive