Perception v reality

Cultivating a perception of youth along with a clued-in attitude is becoming an important part of our age-obsessed society. Workplace gurus are now telling the redundant and unemployed that they better behave, sound and look young when they interview for a new job or they could easily be left behind.

Oh! You may say, experience is what matters in a recession, but no, it's being perceived as youthful and not stuck in a fuddy-duddy rut that is the prize target. American author Stephen Viscusi, who published his book Bulletproof your Job: How to ride out the rough times and come out on top at work in August 2008, just before the worldwide recession was made official, says that cosmetic but mostly perceptive changes could ensure that you will be in permanent demand.

His list is quite long but I'll be youthful and keep it brief. The important bits are: shining white teeth, a deodorised persona, a firm handshake, a presence on Facebook, keeping your nasal, facial and head hair properly groomed (both sexes), brush up on sports, learn the difference between an iPod classic and an iPod Touch and, most importantly, practise sounding young on the phone.

Well, since perception is always someone else's problem before it becomes your own, I prefer to listen more to the advice of Irish researchers at Queen's University, Belfast from their latest study on How Dancing keeps you Young.

Well, Jonathan Skinner and Dr Una Lynch say that dancing on a regular basis keeps your heart and lungs working to full capacity, keeps bones and joints strong and lubricated, keeps the weight off since it burns calories, controls blood sugar, helps improve memory and balance, helps you socialise and make friends, breaks down cultural barriers, promotes good grooming and establishes self-discipline and self-confidence. If that's not youthful, what is?

Dancing, I believe, will also help you duck and weave against the naysayers at work, tap dance around your boss and keep you ramrod straight when your colleagues are stooping to new lows.

So, if it's samba, salsa, merengue, bhangra, waltz or the Funky-Chicken (oops, I gave away my perceived youth), get those dancing shoes on and stay healthy and wealthy.