Do you think people think you are less competent or think that you belong to a certain group if you have long hair? I am curious how others may view you. I have heard some people say about others with long hair that they thought they were just lazy for not cutting it. I have heard that having a “trendy style” will enhance your career and show maturity and in some cases help with finding a partner, because shorter hair = success. :-? If that is true, what does "society say about long hair? What are your experiences?

I'm fortunate in that having long hair has, so far, not impacted anybody's ideas of my qualification for anything.

In my job, it's actually almost seen as a mark of status. I have "hacker hair"; in some coding circles, you have no cred unless you have long hair (including guys).

It hasn't impacted me in my martial arts, at the gym, or anything. I am a little worried about some social circles I might be entering soon might view it differently, but not enough for it to disturb my sleep.  :D

Huh.

To be quite honest, all of that sounds like a lot of salon-generated fodder for the gullible, if you ask me. A marketing friend of mine once related this little pearl of wisdom: before blindly accepting an idea, first consider who it's coming from and what they have to gain by spreading it.

Sounds to me like a ploy to get the masses rushing into salons for trendy cuts because, for heaven's sake, they must present a modern, successful image instead of looking like lazy hippies who don't take care of themselves!

Rubbish. Professional success is mostly about hard work, perseverance, luck and who you know. Hair has absolutely nothing to do with it. I operate in both artistic and corporate environments and can personally affirm this. Consider for a moment how many top billed musicians have long hair and how many minimum wage retail clerks rock short, trendy styles.

On a personal level, ladies, go ahead and ask any guy you know whether he prefers long, natural hair or some trendy salon style. Most of you can probably predict his answer. ;)

Really, I think more judgment will be passed on you for poor spelling than long hair (ahem).

I suspect that stuff comes from people who don't have the patience to grow their hair, and is nothing but sour grapes.  Speaking for myself, my hair is easier to deal with when it is long and looks better than it does short.  Fortunately, I work in academia and many women and some guys have long hair, so it doesn't matter for me.

I haven't had really long hair in my adult years  but I'm definitely commented on as being cute more often the longer my hair grows.  I tend to look younger and NOT older with longer hair.  People tend to talk to me in simpler terms and ask simpler questions when they perceive me as cute. 

I've come across "articles" online saying the things you mentioned such as: "[people] with long hair that they thought they were just lazy for not cutting it. I have heard that having a “trendy style” will enhance your career and show maturity and in some cases help with finding a partner, because shorter hair = success".  They're usually posted by hairdressers and salons or someone who feels a ned to justify to themselves and others why they're so much better off with their new short cut than the long hair they had.  Good for them.  When I can't see the source I assume they're sponsored by salons, hairdressers, the beauty industry, etc.  I can't take it seriously but it irritates me that some gullible women probably believe that a new cut is the fix it all cure.

Angel wrote on Apr 4^th, 2010 at 2:17pm:

Really, I think more judgment will be passed on you for poor spelling than long hair (ahem).

If you are implying I do not know how to spell you might want to look at your own spelling first before passing judgment…

I think that how you style your long hair affects how people view you. 

Case in point:  I always wear my hair in two dutch braids when on-call in the hospital because it keeps my hair out of my face for 30+ hours.  One person saw me with my double braids one night and then with a single, simple braid a couple of days later.  She said that I looked "more grown-up" with the single braid.

        When ever I worked sales in a salon, the stylists always talked down about long hair.  About how ratty it was, how dirty (I washed it every day/every other day!), how impractical, it made me look immature, it made me look old, etc.  It really didn't stop for four years.  Mind you, this was only one salon and the girls in it were all fresh out of school.  But I still agree with Angel in that a lot of the short hair hype is put out by stylists and the fashion industry because it generates much more money.  That being said...my mom tried to grow her hair out, and something about her face structure, she looks better with those cute gamine cuts!  Long hair overwhelmed her face and she didn't have the patience to deal with it.   ::)

        Bio-muse you have a good point too and I love the illistration you gave!  It's so true!  Probably part of the reason I got so much grief there was that I often just slung it into a pontail.  Not very sophisticated.  :P  Lol!