He Fa on Arendt

An oval brooch sits on the finely textured double-breasted suit; a fine necklace adds another scale at the neck, while watch and bracelet sit together at the wrist. This Arendt outfit accommodates several kinds of adornment. I want to use it to discuss how a person appears in a shared setting: bringing their own things, without each thing first being inspected before they may speak.

The brooch may help others remember me, or it may be taken for a position before I say anything. Proper dress suggests credibility; too much ornament suggests insufficient focus. Such quick judgments reduce unfamiliarity, but postpone the sentences that actually need debating. Putting thought into choosing jewelry should give someone's judgment on a question neither one vote more nor one vote less.

He Fa's round face entering a women's suit further disrupts familiar pairings of appearance and speaker. The clothes retain their details, but the body makes no effort to pass as a historical figure. I am willing to keep the imperfect resemblance as a reminder: shared settings should accommodate people who have not yet been assigned a place, rather than wait until every face fits an existing position before declaring that everyone is welcome.

Yet asking others to listen only to the content cannot cancel the specific effects of one's behavior. Taking too much time or suppressing disagreement through ridicule still needs to be challenged. Individual characteristics should be protected, while speaking behavior can be governed together. Rules that inspect what people wear but ignore who continually interrupts direct attention toward the surfaces easiest to control.

I leave the brooch near the lapel and let the watch remind me that this contribution has a time limit. Clothes can accompany me into the room, but cannot make a response for me. When a different opinion appears, whether I give it time will allow this shared occasion to acquire a form more dependable than ornament.