<p>I have often wondered if having a career in business was primarily committing your life to being ostentatious. Watching the P's and Q's, never letting anybody see the "real" you for fear of the negative repercussions that may result. </p>
<p>Having "the man" over for dinner, putting on a show of leadership to seek that vaunted position, never letting your guard down and being real (i.e. swearing, burping, acting as human animals do) etc, etc.</p>
<p>Any opinions? Is American business just a practice of ostentatiousness? Anybody else get this feeling?</p>
<p>I think it depends on the industry and position.</p>
<p>I've heard, especially in investment banking that you can deal with people who are pretty bad. you screw up and you'll have a guy yelling a million F words at you. And I read in Liars Poker about the traders who would compete with food and try to pig out on massive massive amounts of food while burping and whatnot.</p>
<p>But I think when you work with the client you usually have to put on a specific image, because afterall you're trying to get this client to go with your company versus others. </p>
