La Bella Figura

Italians are obsessed with image an image that we refer to as 'la bella figura' or 'the beautiful figure'. They constantly are well put together, fashionable, friendly without being overly outgoing, and they never do anything that would make them look foolish or in bad taste...ever. However if you talk to an Italian about la bella figura, they probably wouldn't quite understand what you mean... I've decided their obsession with la bella figura comes directly from their conscious obsession, la brutta figura. In Italy everything is probably done for some image reason, not to appear 'bella' but rather to not appear 'brutta'.
For example: Italians don't work out... they just don't do it, not in public, not the way Americans do. An Italian wouldn't go running for a great workout, to be sweaty is brutta, to have physical exertion show is brutta. On occasion I do see someone running or at the gym, but it hardly ever a woman and whoever it is always still looks great and is wearing a cute little 'workout outfit' of spandex.
Another example: Last month I said that one of the things I had learned was that Italians do not drink in excess, they don't get drunk, its frowned upon. I now realize, there is no ethical or moral reason behind this, but rather, to drink to the point of walking and acting funny is brutta, the image and control is gone. It is brutta to be out of control.
There are of course smaller things that are never done because they are brutta, one never wears short socks and long pants, one never wears sweat pants in public, one never eats mushrooms and cheese together, and the one I personally always break and get stared and pointed at for... one never wears flip flops between the months of October and April!
Of course these judgements are not as harsh on foreigners, it is weird if I break a 'bella figura' rule, but it is horrible and stupid if an Italian does so. The ironic thing to me is that Italians may follow crazy rules and norms when it comes to esthetic, but when it comes to ethics, they believe they are up to interpretation... thats why you find Italians cutting in line, and running red lights. I just think this is so fascinating, probably because it is such a foreign concept to me! I don't do something nice for someone to APPEAR nice, I just want to be nice. I definitely value ethics over esthetics, who am I to judge other people based on their appearance! Maybe what this should be teaching me is, who am I to judge people on anything, even their actions, they could have a perfectly logical reason for doing something like cutting in line, like a cultural imposition!