The standard is a model that you need to strive for?

"Golden hands", "steel nerves", "platinum gray", "flight of thought" - these expressions are figurative in nature, used to enhance the expressiveness of speech. They do not mean at all that the imagination actually flies across the sky like a bird, and jewelry or jewelry can be made from limbs or hair. There are other examples of the use of scientific and technical terms for characterizing personal qualities. For example, the "standard". This concept means a role model, and the closer to it the estimated object, the better. Is it always fair? Let's try to understand.

Scientific standard as a prototype of the concept

In order to use any term correctly, even in a figurative sense, it must be properly understood. The original meaning of the word "standard" can be defined as a certain object that best corresponds to the established weight, volume or geometric parameter.

Prior to the introduction of the metric system, various other units of measurement were used throughout the world (and in some cases this is still the case). Russian arshins, versts, sazhens were familiar to our ancestors; The British were quite satisfied with pints, inches and yards; And in exotic countries there was confusion at all. A case is known when an Englishwoman explained to the child the meaning of the word "liter". According to her, it turned out that this is the same as kilograms, only in wet form. And so humanity decided to unify the weights and measures. We decided that if we divide the equator into 40 thousand parts, then this will be a meter, and the weight of a square decimeter of water will be called a kilogram. However, later it turned out that at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the historical transition was mainly taking place, the measuring technique was not quite perfect, therefore the initial premise is also not ideal. But by that time the standards had settled, and they decided to leave everything as it is. In addition, each of the units already had its own standard. This circumstance affected the completion of further investigations and measurements.

Forward to Unification

All this is true, but what do metal bars and cylinders, stored under glass caps in different laboratories of respected scientific institutions around the world, have to do with assessing a person's personality? "After all, they can not be measured in numbers," some believe. "You can," object others. The fact that people based on many thousands of civilizational and cultural experiences formed ideas about what is the standard of appearance, behavior and even the way of thinking. Of course, the standards of different peoples, races and social strata are different. In addition, they change with time. And besides, everyone has his own idea of what is beautiful, clever and honest. But the common features are still visible.

Standard of the husband

Women in their majority believe that the appearance of their future elect must be courageous. This is understood as broad shoulders, regular features, expressing some (but moderate) brutality, and growth above the average. Brought up on visible television images, representatives of the beautiful half of the world's population are sure that if someone looks brave, then most likely they are. How many of the shattered destinies the standard of mass culture, inspired by mass culture, became! This can be a cruel lesson for anyone who judges a book by its cover. However, matches also happen.

Exemplary spouse

Men, too, do not differ in their majority by striving for a deep knowledge of their future chosen one. There are standards to which the majority seeks, and they are expressed by the prevalent formula 90-60-90 (again figures are a kind of standard). This is also not always true in relation to other, less "formatted" women, who sometimes have a much more substantial internal world. The reason is that you can not evaluate the soul by direct attachment method, and other methods are not available to everyone. This is much more difficult than measuring the equator.

Cultural standards

Striving for formats is one of the reasons that modern culture is losing ground. Each time has its own standard. It could be Venus de Milo or Marilyn Monroe, Alain Delon or Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Madonna, Britney Spears or Lady Gaga. Defining for myself a sample that I want to strive for, a fan often pays attention to the exterior of the idol more than to his achievements in the main business of his life. To true connoisseurs of creativity are more interesting works, which managed to create for his life an outstanding artist. The desire to become similar causes more often irony, and sometimes laughter. After all, everyone lives his own life, and no matter how you try to get closer to the standard, it becomes impossible for them.