Abantu Abaselula Bayabuza . . .
Impahla Enegama Lomyili Wodumo—Ngaba Indilungele?
“IMPAHLA ithetha okuthile ngomntu. . . . Impahla isoloko ibonakalisa umntu onguye.” Watsho njalo uBarbara Dickstein, incutshe engumenzi wempahla kwimyuziyam ephambili. Wongezelela wathi, “Ixela iwonga lakho, indima yakho ebomini, nesigxina sakho ebuthweni.” Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba impahla ibalulekile kwinkoliso yabantu—yaye ulutsha oluninzi luthe phithi yiyo.
Noko ke, kubantu abaninzi abaselula ukuthi phithi kwabo yimpahla akupheleliselwanga nje ekuxhalabeleni ukuba sefashonini. Kwabaninzi enye into ebalulekileyo ludidi lwayo. Phantse yonke into abayithengayo—ukusuka kwiiteki ukuya kwiindondo—imele ibe nolo phawu lubaluleke kunene lomyili wodumo. Ngokomzekelo, uphando lwephephancwadi iSeventeen lwatyhila ukuba ama-90 ekhulwini amantombazana akwishumi elivisayo avakalelwa kukuba udidi lwempahla lubalulekile xa kuthengwa impahla enxitywa kwezemidlalo.
Xa sicinga ngendlela amajelo okusasaza iindaba kuwonke wonke aye anyusa ngayo abayili bempahla bodumo kwiminyaka yakutshanje, oku akufanele kusimangalise. Ngentengiso eyenziwa kumabonwakude, kumaphephancwadi nakumaphephandaba, kwiibhodi zezaziso nakwimiboniso bhanya-bhanya, abathengi baye bachanabeka ebuxokini babayili bodumo. Injongo kukumfamekisa iingqiqo zabantu ukuze bakholelwe ukuba uphawu lomyili wodumo lwenza inguqulelo yobugqi empahleni—nakulowo uyinxibileyo. Ngaphandle kwegama lomyili wodumo, iibhulukhwe zedenim ziibhulukhwe njee. Xa iibhulukhwe zedenim zinegama lomyili wodumo, ngokukhawuleza zikhokelela kudumo, kwimincili, naseluthandweni!
Umtsalane Wophawu
Omnye umlinganiswa komnye wemidlalo kaShakespeare wabuza, “Libaluleke ngantoni igama?” Xa kusiziwa empahleni, igama linokubaluleka gqitha. Incwadi elungiselelwe ukufundisa abo bangabathengisi abavunyiweyo ithi: “Abathengi abaninzi bakulungele ukuhlawula amaxabiso athe chatha ngenxa yodidi lwempahla . . . negama lomyili wodumo. Impahla eninzi enamagama idume ngokuba yeyefashoni ephambili, iyakhangeleka, yeyohlobo, yaye yenziwe ngobuchule. Ngokufuthi impahla yomyili wodumo inembonakalo ebalaseleyo.” (Know Your Merchandise, nguWingate, nguGillespie noBarry) Inqaku elikwiThe New York Times Magazine ngokufanayo libonisa ukuba “ubuchule bokuyenza nelaphu lempahla yamaxabiso aphezulu ngokufuthi zohluka kakhulu” kwimpahla yexabiso eliphantsi. Ngaloo ndlela impahla enegama lomyili wodumo ihlala ithuba elide yaye ikhangeleka kakuhle kunempahla yexabiso eliphantsi.
Sekunjalo, kulutsha oluninzi uphawu lomyili wodumo aluyombonakaliso yohlobo ngaphezu kokuba luyimbonakaliso yewonga—iibheji zentlonelo. Kunjengokuba uSam oneminyaka eli-17 ubudala akubeka ngayo, “ukuba impahla yakho ayinalo uphawu lomyili wodumo, usemva!”
Amandla Engcinezelo Yoontanga
Ngoko, akumangalisi ukuba uCasey oselula esithi: “Ininzi ingcinezelo yokunxiba impahla enegama lomyili wodumo.” UTennile oneminyaka eli-14 ubudala wongeza ngelithi: “Wonke ubani usoloko ebuza, ‘Yeyoluphi udidi isweater, ibhatyi, okanye ijeans yakho?’” Ngokutsho komnye osemtsha, ingcinezelo inokuba nkulu kangangokuba ukuba awulinganisi, “abantu baya kukuxwaxwa bathethe ngawe, besithi unxiba izihlangu ezingenagama okanye uthenga [kwivenkile ethengisa impahla yamaxabiso aphantsi].”
Kambe ke, kungokwemvelo ukufuna ukufana nabanye nokufuna ukwamkeleka. UAndy oneshumi elinesihlanu leminyaka ubudala uthi: “Akukho mntu ufuna ukubonakala ahlukile.” Kodwa ufanele ubalinganise abanye ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo? UJoe oneminyaka elishumi elinesine ubudala uyavuma esithi: “Maxa wambi uthenga impahla ongayithandiyo—ukuze nje wamkeleke.”
Kodwa ngaba kusengqiqweni ukuvumela abanye bakwenzele izigqibo, bakwahlukanise nendlela oyiyo ngokobuqu, okanye bakunyanzelele ukuba uyeke ukuba ngumntu okhethayo nonemilinganiselo, okanye osebenzisa ingqiqo? AmaRoma 6:16 athi: “Anazi na ukuba lowo nizinikela kuye ukuba ngabakhonzi bokumlulamela, ningabakhonzi ngoku kulowo nimlulamelayo?” Ngubani ofuna ukuba likhoboka lomnye umntu? Kodwa oko koko kwenzekayo ukuba uvumela oontanga bakho bakugqibele ngento omawuyinxibe, okanye ukuba uya ngapha nangapha ngenxa yefashoni.—Thelekisa amaEfese 4:14.
Ukufumana Imbono YeBhayibhile
Unokufunda njani ukuzenzela izigqibo? Qhelana nemilinganiselo eseLizwini likaThixo. Xa ukucinga kwakho kusekelwe eBhayibhileni, akuchanabekanga kangako ekulawulweni okanye ekujikweni ngabanye. (IMizekeliso 1:4) Kuyinyaniso ukuba, iBhayibhile asiyoncwadi yokufundisa ngefashoni. Kodwa inayo imilinganiselo enokukunceda ugqibe ngento omawuyinxibe. Ngokomzekelo, phawula amazwi ompostile uPawulos akweyoku-1 kuTimoti 2:9. Apho wacebisa amaKristu ukuba ‘anxibe iingubo ezifanelekileyo, eneentloni, enesidima, ingabi sisambatho esixabiso likhulu.’
Ngokuqinisekileyo uPawulos wayengathi kufuneka unxibe njengehlwempu okanye unxibe impahla engekho mgangathweni ngokubangela iintloni. UYesu Kristu ngokwakhe kuyabonakala ukuba wayenayo ingubo ubuncinane enye eyayiyeyexabiso. (Yohane 19:23, 24) Kunoko, uPawulos wayelumkisa amaKristu ukuba angatsaleli ingqalelo engafanelekanga kwiziqu zawo ngendlela anxiba ngayo. Ukuthenga isinxibo ngenxa yokuba sisesexabiso, sisihle, okanye senziwe ngokufanelekileyo kusengqiqweni. Kodwa ukunxiba into enophawu lomyili wodumo ngenxa yokuba ufuna “ukuqhayisa” okanye “uxhokonxa ukhuphiswano” kukuzingca nokuzigwagwisa. (1 Yohane 2:16, NW; Galati 5:26, NW) Abantu abambalwa banokukholiswa koko, kodwa usenokuxhokonxa umona nentiyo kwabanye.
UPawulos waxelela amaKristu ukuba abonakalise ingqondo ephilileyo, okanye ingqiqo, kwindlela anxiba ngayo. Kwezinye iindawo, ukunxiba impahla enegama lomyili wodumo kukuzibeka engozini. Ngokomzekelo, uMichael Thomas oneminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu ubudala wabulawa ngenxa yokunxiba izihlangu zokubaleka ezinegama lomyili wodumo ezixabisa ii-R275. Omnye okwishumi elivisayo wayezinqwenelela yena ezo zihlangu. IThe New York Times yanikela ingxelo yokuba kwizikolo ezininzi zasezidolophini eUnited States, ukunxiba izinto ezinexabiso eliphakamileyo ezinegama lomyili “kwanele ukuphembelela umlo kwanokubulala.” Ngaloo ndlela uKatherine oselula uthi: “Ndikubone kuyinkuselo ukungaphenjelelwa ngokungekho ngqiqweni ngoontanga bam kwindlela endinxiba ngayo. Kungenjalo, ndisenokuzinqikela ilitye elineembovane.”
Kambe ke, indawo yokuqala asilulo lonke ulutsha olunako ukuthenga impahla enegama lomyili wodumo. Ukuba ukuloo meko, usenokungabi nandlela yimbi ngaphandle kokufunda ‘ukwanela yinto edliwayo neyambathwayo’—kwanokuba loo nto yambathwayo ayikho sefashonini okanye eyona yona isemgangathweni. (1 Timoti 6:8) Kunokuba uzenze ixhoba lomona, otshabalalisayo, zama ukwenza onako ukukwenza kwimeko yakho. (Tito 3:3) Impahla yakho isenokungabi nalo uphawu oluthandwayo, kodwa isenokubukeka, icoceke, yaye ifaneleke.
Ukuthenga Impahla Entle
Oko ukunxibayo akubalulekanga ngaphezu kohlobo lomntu onguye ngaphakathi. (1 Petros 3:3, 4) Sekunjalo, enoba ukuyiphi imeko, kusengqiqweni ukunxiba ngendlela efanelekele isihlandlo ngasinye. NjengomKristu, ukwanembopheleleko yokunxiba ngendlela efanelekele umlungiseleli oselula.—2 Korinte 6:3.
Ngethamsanqa, isidima sobuKristu asithethi ukuba kufuneka ube semva. UTamaria oselula ukubeka kamnandi oku xa esithi: “Akukho nto iphosakeleyo ngokuba sefashonini—logama nje ungazibaxi izinto.” Kungekho nanto iphosakeleyo ngokunxiba impahla ekumgangatho ophakamileyo. Enyanisweni, ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi Dressing Smart, ebhalwe nguPamela Redmond Satran, iingcaphephe “zicebisa ukuthenga eyona yona mpahla intle onokuba nako ukuyithenga uze ukhethe ngokohlobo elulo kunokukhetha ngokobuninzi.” Incwadi ethi Know Your Merchandise ngokufanayo inikela eli cebiso: “Impahla embalwa yexabiso, ekhethwe ngenyameko ilungile kunempahla eninzi ephelelwa msinya nephuma ngokukhawuleza efashonini.”
Oku kusenokufuna ukuba ube ngumthengi olumkileyo—‘njengomfazi onesidima’ ochazwe eBhayibhileni kwiMizekeliso 31:10, 14, 18. Uhamba aye “kude” ‘ayokurhweba ngokufanelekileyo.’ Yaye usenokufunda ‘ukuzikhethela izinto ezinamaxabiso aphantsi’ ngokwakho. Inkupho yeLadies’ Home Journal yacebisa oku: “Cela ukuthenga into ngexabiso elithile—kwanakwivenkile ezinkulu. . . . Yenza uphando. Khangela amaxabiso evenkile ezahlukahlukeneyo.” Usenokufunda ukuthethathethana nalo mntu uthengisayo, ingakumbi kwiivenkile ezincinane.
Noko ke, iphephancwadi iConsumer Reports lisikhumbuza ukuba “ixabiso nodumo aziqinisekisi ukuba impahla yeyohlobo olufanelekileyo.” Eneneni, abaphandi babo bafumanisa ukuba yimbi impahla yamaxabiso afanelekileyo yayiphantse ilingane ngomgangatho nempahla yamaxabiso aphakamileyo enegama lomyili wodumo. Incwadi ethi Dressing Smart ithi: “Maxa wambi, impahla ithengiswa ngexabiso eliphakamileyo ngenxa nje yokuba iyeyefashoni, inegama lomyili wodumo, okanye kuba nje abathengisi bayo bethanda ngolo hlobo.” Uphawu lomyili wodumo maxa wambi lufakelwa ngenkohliso kwimpahla yomgangatho ophantsi. Yaye kwanaxa uphawu lulolokwenyani, iimpazamo zabayili zisenokubakho.
Ngoko musa ukulahlekiswa luphawu okanye ixabiso. Lumka. (IMizekeliso 14:15) Yihlolisise ngenyameko impahla—ilaphu layo, ukwenziwa kwayo, ukuthungwa kwayo, njalo njalo. Ngaba ifanelekile? Ngaba lingafumaneka ilaphu layo ngokwaneleyo xa ilungiswa? Ngaba zikho iimpawu zokuba yeyohlobo, ezinjengelaphu langaphantsi nelaphu eliqinileyo elifakwa phakathi kwamalaphu amabini? Kuthekani ngeenkcukacha, njengokulingana kwamacala nokufanelana kwemibala ekulo?
Ngokulumka nokuqiqa, unokuphepha ukuvumela umtsalane wophawu lomyili wodumo ukuba ukutsalele ekwenzeni ukhetho olungafanelekanga. Unokunxiba kakuhle, ngaphandle kokuchitha imali eninzi.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 22]
Xa iibhulukhwe zedenim zinegama lomyili wodumo, ngokukhawuleza zikhokelela kudumo kwimincili naseluthandweni!
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
Musa ukulahlekiswa luphawu. Yihlolisise ngenyameko nayiphi na impahla ngaphambi kokuba uyithenge