The mask makes the man

It seems that if you study reputation long enough, you come to the conclusion that it does not exist. Reputation is all in your head. It is what you believe others think of you because of how you present yourself and possibly what you (claim to) have done in the past. On this tissue of subterfuge rests reputation. The Latin word “persona“ means mask.

Gloria Origgi has done a fine job of thinking this through, from most conceivable angles. Not only does she account for gossip and rumor, but the human condition and the need for esteem if not immortality. She examines wine raters, academic publishing and ebay feedback as well as charlatans and frauds (though oddly, she doesn’t examine Linked In, the ultimate dedicated reputation site).

Ironically, despite all her citations of studies and references to other scientists’ work, Origgi fills her book with examples from fiction. From films to books to plays and operas, almost all of her points are illustrated through imaginary people doing imaginary things that harm or enhance their imaginary reputations.

Reputation reminds me of homo economicus, a theoretical construct of a rational being, always making the right decision. He does not exist, but there is a huge body of work that requires and depends on him. So with Reputation, a theoretical construct drawing on angles and aspects of society, with very little recourse to the way the world works. I half expected a mathematical formula to appear. In the real world, everyone is trying to get ahead. They will say and do whatever it takes, rightly or wrongly, morally or immorally. For some, even a terrible reputation is preferable to none (which Origgi does not contemplate).

Possibly the most rational conclusion Origgi comes to is that reputation is a necessary feedback loop. Like musicians onstage, we need to hear and see what others are hearing and seeing to know how we’re doing and adjust for greater acceptance.

As Origgi says early on, there is very little in the way of deep research on reputation. It is an emerging topic that needs argument. This will be the baseline.

David Wineberg

The publisher’s blurb for this book was spot-on: ‘A compelling exploration of how reputation affects every aspect of contemporary life’. It perfectly describes the objective of this book that manages to expertly get you thinking and considering your various reputations – both personal and professional and even corporate – as well as the role of reputations at-large.

This is less of a how-to book, but a book for thinking and latter exploitation. A lot of how we react to the reputations of others is unclear. We accept ourselves that not everything is black-and-white but we fall for the same categorisations of good, bad or indifferent. We accept reputational commentary from others often without validation. Why might we let the reputation of others determine someone else’s reputation? It was in the newspaper, it must be true? A minister wouldn’t do that sort of thing? I can’t imagine…? All of this and more surely mixes together as we evaluate the reputations of others – and they do the same to you and evaluate you, despite your best-efforts not to create any adverse impression.

The author mixes well theories and expertise from many different disciplines to try and consider the influencing factors and effects of reputation. It makes for surprisingly accessible and engaging reading. Reputations are everywhere. Will you buy from Company X? You are thinking about a holiday to City Y, is it safe? How about yet another loan to Country Z: can they be trusted? On a more local level, your boss may say this and that, what are their motivations and does their reputation colour what they are saying and why they are saying it? What’s the real story and what is the back story? How did you come to consider what ‘filter’ to apply? Their reputation, the reputation of others and perhaps, even, a consolidation of your self that impacts on your reputation as seen and measured by others!

The book gets you thinking! It is not a hyper-theoretical, hard-to-read dusty academic book. It deserves wider distribution and can be one of those thoughtful unexpected gems that a curious reader stumbles across. For the academic with a deeper interest, it is also a valuable work that can help research and understanding go further.

It can certainly keep you company for a long time whilst reading it and be in your mind even longer afterwards!

Reputation, written by Gloria Origgi and published by Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691175355. YYYYY