I think I kinda agree with rdale, if the image you have is tight aggressive then I agree most players won't notice you folding a lot of hands, or at least won't correlate that with strong hands when they get a hand they think is pretty good. On the other hand a very active and aggressive image is a little more flashy and people are going to notice and assume you don't have a hand because you're playing so much and picking up so many pots. In this case I think they will pick up on your image and change their play based on it.
All that said your original point is well taken, unless you're in LAG mode or running very hot, the only people who are going to pick up on your image are those you want to be careful with anyway. Adjusting your play based on your perceived image of yourself is useless in most cases, and may even lead you to play a hand incorrectly.