What's good about looking bad

It is said that we live in a world in which it pays to be media-ready. I would agree, though I think there is a trend that takes this concept too far.
I was reading Grace's column-with-guest as part of the continued dialogue over at Design*Sponge about women in the media, and thinking about how so many of the points outlined in that post are comparable to spiritual/philosophical lessons.
Examples include the idea of not making negative remarks about others, which I covered in a previous post and being respectful of others (including journalists). The message of "being prepared" is characteristic of any spiritual training, even ancient philosophers adopted exercises to improve the quality of their lives. But perhaps most spiritual of all was what Grace wrote about turning bad experiences into something good, like a lesson-learned story (instead of denying or avoiding them). Imperfections, mistakes, and shortcomings, when viewed creatively, can become assets.
The other night, I was talking to a friend who said that we know we are on the right path when the going gets tough, but if we work with what we have, we will find success. Interestingly enough, we only discover the assets we have when we are gently shoved by Mother Necessity. We feel we are being attacked when we meet with a difficult situation, but really it is trying to shape us into something better. The longer we remain freaked out, or unwilling to deal with whatever truth is at hand, the more stuck we get.
If people are not appreciating us for who we are, we need to accept the situation and find an outlet through which to realise our potential. There is always a part of ourselves that we are not using (as we can't tap even our own, limited resources at once). Like the Native Americans who used every part of the animal they thanked, it makes so much sense to use every part of what our experience has given us, for different purposes, until we have spent it all. It is best not to expect accolades, because they rarely come as expected, and if we expect them, we risk missing them.
So to bring this post full circle, I would say that many people make the mistake of getting so obsessed with image that this spills into their trying to control how they are perceived by others (which borders on the tyrannical). I teach aspects of rhetoric, and I know that some techniques are very effective in creating desired images in people's minds.
But where image is gained, the creativity that calls on our past experience and hidden talents will be lost. So, the power of creative expression is lost.  
Being creative requires that one think (which some are unwilling or too proud to do). It also requires the courage to look bad. Still, any Italian woman can tell you, wear a bikini no matter what you look like, and be proud.