By Merlin Lessler —<\/p>\n
There is an odd quirk in the human psyche, we\u2019re fussy about buttons. If you don\u2019t button your shirt correctly, you\u2019re in trouble! It\u2019s a social misdemeanor to walk around in a misbuttoned shirt.<\/p>\n
Alignment is important! \u201cOh my gosh! Your buttons are one off!\u201d It freaks people out. Personally, I love seeing someone in a misbuttoned shirt. It makes them more like me and brings a smile to my face. I never bring it to their attention.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure what sets people off when they see a shirt with buttons in the wrong holes, the lack of symmetry maybe? We like things to be symmetrical, like our face – two ears, two eyes, and nose in the middle, mouth directly below. It sets the standard for how we view the world. Put an extra eye in the middle of the forehead and we go nuts.<\/p>\n
The Tucker Automobile Company made this mistake back in the 1940\u2019s; they put a third headlight in the middle of the front hood. Even though their car was more advanced than any automobile at the time, the company went defunct in a few short years. Mismanagement? Or, was it that third \u201ceye\u201d in the middle of the hood? The Tucker was a misbuttoned shirt. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s also not acceptable to skip a button. You\u2019ll hear about it, \u201cYou missed a button there,\u201d someone (many someone\u2019s) will say, and then point to the infraction. It makes us uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
Small boys and old coots are exempt from the \u201cbutton-fussy\u201d rules. Neither cares about button correctness. Nor, if they are wearing two different socks or two different shoes. <\/p>\n
The next time you see someone with misaligned shirt buttons; don\u2019t give into the temptation to point out the mistake, just hand them a dollar bill and say, \u201cThanks! You made my day!\u201d You\u2019ll spend the rest of your day with a smile on your face; they\u2019ll spend the day wondering, \u201cWhat was that all about?\u201d<\/p>\n