Germ freak

[A22]

I've always been hygienic, I don't eat with my hands¹, I wash'em frequently, etc. But lately I think I'm being a germ freak.

I mean, I'm not like Sheldon (from Big Bang Theory), I still shake people's hands without a napkin, but I kinda do it against my will. Depending on whom I'm shaking hands with, it even disgusts me².

Does this make any sense?

Spoiler

¹I mean, I need my hands to eat, I just use a napkin, a fork or something

² People who I know that aren't really hygienic

 

[ApostateAbe]

Do you think that the benefits outweigh the costs? Without bothering to be extra hygienic, you will get the routine cold/flu four times a year. If you are hygienic, maybe you can cut it down to twice a year. I don't think it is worth it, though I do wash my hands good every time I go to the bathroom, and I sneeze into the inside of my shirt, not my hands. That may be just a matter of common courtesy, not self interest.

 

[Meer]

Unless you have a terrible immune system or everyone you know is horribly diseased, I don't really see the point in being extra vigilant. Paranoia surrounding 'icky things' is kind of irrational.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Unless you have a terrible immune system or everyone you know is horribly diseased, I don't really see the point in being extra vigilant. Paranoia surrounding 'icky things' is kind of irrational.

This. I only bother washing my hands if they are noticeably dirty or if I'm handling food. Despite that, I can't remember the last time I missed multiple days of school/work due to illness.

 

[Lot]

I eat under cooked meats some time. I don't always use soap after handling raw meat/eggs. I wash my hands after I poop, and use lots of soap. I see no reason to be super cautious. I only get sick twice a year, and I haven't been so sick that I need to miss work or school in years, although I sometimes use it as an excuse to get the day off. Yes there are germs all over everything, but most of them are harmless, or will help the future generations by you becoming immune.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

At the risk of repeating something:

I'm halfway a germ freak, in that I don't see the point in stressing over the billions of germs that we pass by daily, but at the same time, I freak out when other people are in a position to directly affect my cleanliness/immune system on a macro level(like blantant dirty hands or snot).

In public, I acknowledge the probable uncleanliness of other people, though I shake hands, touch door knobs, grip handles etc. But when I come back home, the first thing I do is wash my hands.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Another thing I just thought of: my family keeps a mug next to the kitchen sink that we all use to get drinks of water. We obviously avoid it if one of us is sick, but other than that we don't really worry about the germs. It's no worse than kissing, at any rate.

 

[Minuend]

I eat under cooked meats some time.

I would be more worried about parasites than bacteria.