Rule #7

I feel like this next rule is another one that for many should be common sense, or perhaps not even have a need to articulate it… ever. And yet, here we are… in 2025. I’m not going to lie, I never thought I’d have to say something to this effect on my blog, but… apparently George Washington needed to tell people to keep their pants on in public.

Put not off your clothes in the presence of others, 

nor go out your chamber half dress’d.

In other words: Don’t undress in company. Don’t leave your room half-naked. Please be fully clothed before you socialize.

At first glance, this rule feels like a no-brainer… the kind of thing toddlers need to hear when they discover the thrill of taking their shirt off in the grocery store aisle. But like most of these rules, the more I sat with it, the more I realized there’s a deeper conversation to explore.

Because yes, on the surface, Rule #7 is literally about clothing.

But beneath that? It’s about boundaries. Self-respect. Social awareness. Intentional presentation. And (as we’ll get into shortly) the modern epidemic of oversharing at light speed.

Before I dissect all that though, let me confess something:

My First Reaction: “Okay, George, calm down.”

When I first read the rule, my knee-jerk thought was- well that’s a bit dramatic. How many half-dressed people were wandering around colonial Virginia?

I pictured farmhands strolling into breakfast shirtless, someone shimmying out of a sweaty waistcoat mid-conversation, and George Washington pinching the bridge of his nose thinking, “Great, another Tuesday.”

But after the giggling stopped, my adult brain kicked in - the same brain that has:

• waited in line behind someone wearing pajama bottoms to the grocery store

• seen people attend Zoom meetings with only the top half of them dressed

• gone to university with people who believed club wear is just as appropriate for the classroom

• parented children, which means I have personally said, “We’re not going anywhere until you put your pants on.”

And suddenly, Rule #7 seemed less ridiculous. Even…wise.

Because while the rule is literally about clothing, the message behind it is absolutely still relevant:

Don’t show up in the world half-prepared. 

Don’t treat shared spaces like your private living room.

And maybe - just maybe - don’t emotionally undress in front of strangers before breakfast.

Oh yes, I’m going there.

The Literal Rule: Yes, He Really Means “Wear Clothes.”

Let’s start with the obvious: Washington wasn’t issuing a moral decree about modesty or purity. He wasn’t pearl-clutching about ankles. He wasn’t enforcing Victorian prudishness (those people haven’t arrived yet). He was simply stating:

”Please don’t treat company like your bedroom.”

Back then, privacy was limited. People lived in close quarters. Rooms were shared. And changing required peeling off layers of sweaty wool while candles flickered dangerously nearby.

Nobody wants to witness that.

Nobody needed to witness that.

If you had to undress, you went somewhere private - not the dinner table.

If you had to change, you didn’t do it while discussing crop prices.

Simple. Reasonable. A courtesy to others.

And honestly? Still relevant.

Because while our clothing styles have changed dramatically, the modern world has no shortage of ways to accidentally (or intentionally) show up half-dressed:

• pajamas bottoms in public

• shirts that are more “concept” than “fabric”

• video calls where only your shoulders are doing the professional heavy lifting

• gym selfies where… very little is left to the imagination

Now, I’m not here to shame anyone for the comfort clothing choices. Comfort is glorious. Comfort is the reason leggings have overthrown denim as a world power.

But comfort becomes inconsiderate when it turn public spaces into extensions of our private ones.

And that’s what Washington was gently nudging his fellow colonists to avoid. 

The Heart of the Rule: Presence, Preparedness, and Offering Your Best Self

If Rule #4 was about being mindful of noise, and Rule #5 was about being mindful of bodily functions….

Fule #7 is about being mindful of presentation.

Not presentation as in perfection - presentation as in:

Are you showing up in a way that respects the space you’re entering?

Being fully dressed before you interact with others signals:

• I’m prepared to be here

• I’m aware you’re here too

• I value this interaction enough to be present and composed

It’s not about vanity. It’s about intention.

And intention, as I’ve emphasized in the earlier rules, is what transforms etiquette from stiffness into connection.

The Modern Twist: The Epidemic of Emotional Undressing

Now here’s where Rule #7 gets surprisingly profound.

Because in 2025, people rarely walk out into the world half-dressed physically. 

But emotionally?

Oh, absolutely.

We live in a culture that encourages instant and unfiltered sharing:

• Over sharing trauma to strangers online

• Treating social media like a confessional

• Disclosing intimate details to people we met 14 minutes ago

• Trauma-dumping in conversations where others didn’t consent

• Using vulnerability as performance instead of connection

We’re stripping down emotionally before we’ve built trust, before we’ve learned boundaries, before the other person even knows our last name.

It is, in its own way, a type of being half-dressed.

Not because sharing is wrong.

Not because emotions are unwelcome.

But because:

Not every part of you belongs in every room.

And healthy boundaries - real boundaries - are not about withholding. They’re about appropriate sharing.

The same way you wouldn’t (hopefully) remove your shirt in the middle of the grocery store, you also shouldn’t unload your childhood trauma onto the barista who asked how your day was.

Rule #7 reminds us: Your whole self deserves a thoughtful, safe place to be revealed. Not every audience is worthy or prepared for that level of access.

Performative Vulnerability: When “Half-Dressed” Becomes a Brand

Another modern trend that Rule #7 indirectly calls out is oversharing for attention - the kind of theatrical disclosure that masquerades as authenticity.

We’ve all seen it:

• Posts that begin with “No one will probably read this…” (they will, that’s the hook)

• Video of crying that were clearly filmed with good lighting

• Public announcements of deeply private breakdowns

• Stories about personal tragedy framed like cliffhangers

It’s emotional undressing… but for spectators.

And that’s the issue.

There’s nothing wrong with vulnerability.

In fact, it’s essential for connection, healing, and community. I’m all for it!

But authenticity means sharing for the sake of honesty, not applause, pity, or validation.

Rule #7 becomes a modern reminder:

Share meaningfully, not theatrically.

Clothe your emotions in intention.

Decide who earns access.

Decide what parts of you deserve privacy.

Because privacy isn’t secrecy. Privacy is dignity.

The Flip Side: Being Too Clothed - Emotionally Armour

Since we’re already knee-deep in metaphors (fully clothed, of course), let’s go a little deeper.

If some people wander through life emotionally half-dressed…

Others show up wearing seventeen layers of emotional armour.

No feelings.

No honesty.

No real presence.

No vulnerability at all.

Being emotionally over-clothed is just as disconnecting as being half-dressed.

Connection requires appropriate sharing - neither dumping nor disappearing.

Rule #7 becomes unexpectedly balanced: Don’t reveal too much too soon. But don’t hide so much that no one can ever truly know you.

So Why Does This Rule Matter Today?

Because we live in a time when boundaries are both desperately needed, and desperately misunderstood.

People often mistake boundaries for coldness, and vulnerability for intimacy, and oversharing for connection.

But Washington, in his practical colonial way, cuts through the noise with a simply reminder:

Prepare yourself before you enter shared space - physically, emotionally, and socially.

Show up composed.

Show up intentional.

Show up clothed - in the ways that matter.

A Humorous Modern Checklist (George Would Approve)

Before leaving your metaphorical chamber, ask yourself:

Am I physically dressed - Shirt? Pants? Have I accidentally wandered outside in my slippers again?

Am I emotionally dressed - Am I about to trauma-dump onto someone who didn’t sign up for it? Am I expecting strangers to carry emotions I should process first? Am I sharing because it’s meaningful or because I want attention? Do I have enough layers to feel safe - but not so many that I disappear?

Am I socially dressed - Am I aware of the space I’m walking into? Am I showing up in a way that respects others? Am I being the version of myself that aligns with the environment?

If at any point the answer is “no”, then Washington gently suggests: Return to your chamber and finish getting dressed.

The Final Takeaway: Dressing is and Act of Self-Respect

In the end, Rule #7 is not about modesty. It’s not about prudishness. It’s not about denying comfort, expression, or personal choice.

It is about respect - for yourself, for others, and for the space you occupy.

Because the way we present ourselves - physically, emotionally, socially - says: I know I am entering a shared world, and I want to do so with intention.

When we treat every room like it’s worthy of our best self, and every conversation like it deserves our presence, and every boundary as an act of kindness….

We aren’t just dressing ourselves.

We’re shaping the quality of our relationships.

We’re signalling our self-worth.

We’re creating environments where connection can actually thrive.

And that’s far more powerful than whatever pants George Washington was worried about.

Ⓒ January 2026. Beki Lantos. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the author.