Hygiene

[bananaphallus]

Thoughts on it?

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?

Do you wish people would shut up about it?

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)

 

[TheHmmmm]

I don't know how much enough to get by is, but I do get by and I don't think I'm one of the cleanest people out there, so I guess satisfactory.

My father is a hardcore cleaning guy and he loves things to be ridiculously clean and tidy, but I say if it's my room and no one goes in there, it should be my space. Oh well /teen rant.

 

[bloozie]

My place is a mess.
I do take showers everyday.
I launder my clothes every two weeks.
Although... I prefer to wear my favorite jeans most everyday even though I have other jeans and shorts to wear...

 

[Methuselah]

My body stays clean, but my apartment is another matter.

 

[Crazythinker1]

I try to be neat and presentable whenever I go out and when I'am at work. And of course I shower everyday and keep my beard neat and trimmed but beyond that I really don't care. I'm a slob, not much I can do about it.

 

[Words]

Thoughts on it?

Hygiene is generally unnecessary to me.

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?

33.3%? Quite a large factor.

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?

I am not bothered. All I care about is whether it would affect my goals in a conversation or not.

Do you wish people would shut up about it?

Sometimes. I can understand them though.

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)

I think everything that is a mundane necessity is pointless. No, I have no liking for these common activities, the liking is towards the goal they achieve.

 

[Cavallier]

This is a strange thread. Is hygiene a big issue for a lot of people? Or is this a test to see if INTPs really will discuss anything? Meh, I'm game.

Thoughts on it?

I don't think that hygiene is a mundane necessity. I enjoy being clean. I feel better when I'm clean. After a long camping trip I can't wait to go home and get clean again. I'm not particularly disturbed by people who don't have good hygiene but I don't understand why they would want to be itchy, greasy, and smelly. It's uncomfortable to feel like that.

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?

I generally have no trouble conversing with people who aren't very cleanly unless they smell bad. Then I'm so distracted by how horrible they smell that I have trouble maintaining a conversation.

If my personal hygiene is not entirely satisfactory then I don't go out and interact with people. If I'm working a job where I get dirty naturally, dusty or whatever, then I don't mind interacting with people but that's because they understand that I'm working and I'm going to get dirty. Although, if I'm going to spend time with people after doing a dirty job I like to take a quick shower first or at least a splash in the sink.

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?

I'm not bothered by this expectation. Why would I be? Yes, being primped and perfect is a ridiculous expectation but being clean is not. Cleanliness is what helps us to avoid illness and discomfort.

Do you wish people would shut up about it?

People...are particularly vocal about it? Do you mean hypochondriacs or the super anal retentive? I remember some kids being picked on in school for smelling bad but really that would be so easily fixed by a shower and some deodorant. Why fight it?

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)

I LOVE showers and baths. They are relaxing and in many ways more refreshing than a nap. I feel like I can restart a day with a shower. I don't enjoy the act of shaving but I enjoy the feeling of smooth skin.

 

[PapyrusAirplanes]

Thoughts on it?

Being clean is good. It helps me think. It takes time, though.
My family is almost all SJ, so a lot of my upbringing revolved around being clean.

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?

If I'm not clean, I won't socialize. (Unless I'm at camp, where anyone's lucky to get 2 showers a week in an atmosphere of drenching sweat and constant dirt. Love it there.)
If someone else isn't clean, I don't mind. But it only takes 3.4 seconds to put on deodorant, so seriously... don't smell bad. Capiche?
Also, no long hair on guys. It just takes more time to take care of. What's the point?

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?

I don't really care about culture's expectations. I just want to feel clean. Sometimes I'm messy or my hair's all over the place, but as long as I don't feel like a bottle of olive oil has been poured over my body, I'm good.

Tidy=/= clean.

Do you wish people would shut up about it?

If no one stayed clean, we would all be... gross. Sometimes people go overboard, but overall, sometimes it's nice to have a reminder.

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)

Like: showering, doing hair, putting on lotion, brushing teeth.
Dislike: changing clothes daily, wearing shoes.
Pointless: shaving, wearing shoes.

 

[citrusbreath95]

Thoughts on it?
Well I think hygiene is necessary to keep society in running order and prevent bacteria/disease to accumulate (Just look at the Middle Ages). Sure, I am fairly lazy about it, I really have to force myself to even brush my teeth or wash my face, those can be a hastle, but I understand that good will consequence from such.


How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?
If I skipped a shower or something I would still socialize with others. Though if I was covered in dirt from weeks of not showering, or my hair was covered with grease, I would definitely feel self-conscious, and would have to make a strong effort to socialize. Overall, if I was fairly dirty I would avoid socializing, but if it was just a bit below standards I might still, though I would feel a bit weird by doing such.

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?
I think I get bothered by having to conform to society's set hygienic standards, though I do understand that it's only for health purposes, and to avoid problems. I don't really go further in getting clean, I meet the standard line pretty well. (accept I did wear the same pair of jeans nearly everyday this year, and washed them only once every two weeks or so) I do apply makeup as well, though I don't consider that hygiene as much as vanity.

Do you wish people would shut up about it?
If someone was constantly nagging me to take a shower or brush my teeth, then yes, because I don't like being told what to do and having to do such just to satisfy the needs of others. Though, I think people do need to talk of such a bit, or else lazy bums such as myself probably wouldn't do such, or the motivation for the majority of people would be fairly low.

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)
I actually enjoy taking showers because I usually do a lot of thinking there, and of course warm water after a long day is nice. Shaving is tiresome so I usually do so only when absolutely necessary. I also like doing extra things like some makeup and lotion, etc. I think having to wear a different outfit each day is pointless, (not to say I don't enjoy wearing nice outfits I put together, I do take pleasure in such), though I don't think clothes get terribly dirty after a day of wearing and I think society should accept that wearing an outfit a couple of days is fine. I hate doing my hair, that's rather tiresome

 

[Ermine]

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?

It's a huge factor in that good personal hygiene boosts my self confidence. Socializing is so much easier when I don't feel disgusting and don't have to worry about what the other person might be thinking in this regard. I feel better when I'm clean. Really, most of my hygiene routine is for me.

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?

I think my culture's current expectations are reasonable, except for makeup. Technically, it's not part of "cleanliness" but it's definitely fixed in the female "hygiene" routine. I don't see what the problem is with not wearing makeup occasionally, just so long as your face is clean. And in my experience, not wearing makeup at least once a week keeps your skin clearer.

Do you wish people would shut up about it?

It's an issue?

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)

nope.

 

[echoplex]

I'm pretty clean (usually) but I absolutely hate most hygiene rituals. They are repetitive, boring, and often time-consuming. It's like washing dishes (hatefest) except you're the dish. Of course, it feels good to be clean but I hate doing it and wish I could push a magic button and be clean (duh, don't we all).

One I particularly hate is tooth-brushing. I do it religiously, along with the flossing and mouthwash, and whatever else dentists/television tell me to do, but it totally sucks. For me, brushing is painful. I don't think we evolved to treat our mouths that way. I mean, yeah, we can do it, but gums tend to be sensitive because for millions of years there was no brushing and then BAM, we're assaulting our mouths on a daily basis. Even using soft brushes (which is a must for me) doesn't make it not painful, only less.

What's also frustrating is how I'll take a shower and be clean, and then, say, 24 hours later, I'm dirty again and I'll feel I've wasted my time/effort. I actually wonder how much of our lives are spent on hygeine. I mean, we already sleep 33% (yeah right) of our lives away. I wonder how much we wash away? *currently wasting time on computer*

 

[Unfall]

I'll only clean myself if I absolutely have to. Although I do love showers..............

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Hmmm the poll could have been worded better, the gap between 'Satisfactory; just enough to get by' and 'I'm one of the cleanest people I know; it's a serious daily concern' is far too wide and it doesn't take into account that personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness are very different. For example most of women I know keep themselves very clean, but their rooms/homes, not so much.

I'm rather like Cavallier in regard to personal hygiene. Daily showers are a must, and if I have an excuse besides indulgence I'll gladly take two as I find them very relaxing and great places for contemplation. Hygienic rituals never seemed like a waste of time to me like some of you suggest (unlike sleep). Though while I'm completing mine, my mind is usually far away doing it's own thing. I do know some women who'll spend ridiculous amounts of time styling there hair, which I find rather silly (even when my hair was waist length, it never took me more than five minutes).

Environmental cleanliness is a bit different. If I have my own space, where it's pretty much established no one is allowed into, it's kept in a general state of mild disarray. However thanks to some rather psychotic Pavlov conditioning provided ever so lovingly by my mother, having other people including close family members around any of my personal disorganization makes me incredibly anxious and paranoid. So if there's any likelihood of other people being in 'my space' I keep it immaculate. I could hardly care less about other people's mess though.

 

[EditorOne]

Shaving is a bit of a bore. An electric razor doesn't work on my beard, have to do it the hard way. And even with a safety razor, I can bleed if I'm not paying attention, hence I have to focus on a boring job rather than letting my mind wander.

Other than that, I don't mind working up a sweat but the rule is sweat that isn't dealt with within 24 hours is just stink.

I've got a dislike of anti-perspirants, largely stemming from the realization that they originate from a cultural expectation that's false, that only laborer's working hard sweat, therefore hide the sweat and you're a gentleman. Faugh. "I'm Kilrain and I damn all gentlemen."

An alternative perspective: Horses sweat. Men perspire. Lady's glow. Don't know where I picked that up. Probably from a sweaty lady.

 

[kantor1003]

Whats up with this shower EVERY SINGLE DAY thing? Do you get raped everyday and shovel human feces for work? This seems to be a product of the 1990s - now. Ironic, the less physical our work becomes, the more we shower. After a hard 6 hour day, slaving behind the computer, it is important to take a shower, right?

 

[Cavallier]

An alternative perspective: Horses sweat. Men perspire. Lady's glow. Don't know where I picked that up. Probably from a sweaty lady.

That is word for word what my Momma Gail used to say to me as a girl. She was a southern bell straight out of a town called Toad Vine in Alabama. I do believe I know where you've picked up that saying.

@Kantor: I shower most days but not every day. It depends on how much hard labor I've had to do that day. Then again my job involves more than sitting at a desk. Plus I work out regularly to stay in shape. I don't wash my hair with shampoo every time I shower though because it makes my hair incredibly dry and brittle. I just rinse it out with warm water. This way it stays softer, shinier, and healthier.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Whats up with this shower EVERY SINGLE DAY thing? Do you get raped everyday and shovel human feces for work? This seems to be a product of the 1990s - now. Ironic, the less physical our work becomes, the more we shower. After a hard 6 hour day, slaving behind the computer, it is important to take a shower, right?

First of all Kantor, that was more than a little rude. Yes, some people are different from you, get a fucking grip and deal with it. Second, take into account your location. Norway is at located at high latitudes, so it's probably quite a bit colder than, say, the Sonoran and Mojave deserts where I've resided most of my life. (it's routinely over 100 °F) People generally shower less in colder environments. To illustrate this point here's something I stole from okcupid that shows how often their users shower in regard to location in the US.

Pretty self explanatory.

Now I'm sure you're familiar with the cultural stereotype that purports Americans are stupid. Well there is a similar stereotype that says by and large Europeans smell terrible. Personally I've seen many a European exchange student run into this problem and be mistreated for it. Please understand I'm not sanctifying it, my ultimate point is just that different cultures have different hygienic tolerances. What you're not acclimated to will stand out to you. However it's pointless to try and claim that your culture's arbitrary hygienic practices are for some reason better than the practices of another.

 

[Cavallier]

Woah! There I am sitting smack in the middle of a "some days" state. Nice illustration use Nyx. When I lived in the deep south I took several showers a day but then I couldn't stop sweating even if I never stepped out of the house. Bleh. I hated it down there.

 

[EditorOne]

Kantor, I think for some folks the shower washes off the figurative residue of the day, symbolically, as much as anything. It's a way of leaving that set of activities and problems behind and marking your "own time."

Meanwhile, fixation with hygiene goes back to the 1960s, even 1950s, with television commercials in the United States at least. Then, Katy Winters extolled the virtues of Ice Blue Secret anti-perspirant, and there were commercials that made the scentless people look more successful. When Katy Winters stopped making the commercials the joke was that she died because her armpits froze....

Cavallier, it was indeed down South where I got the sweat, perspire, glow. That was also where I learned not to mind the heat so much and also to always, always, always park in the shade.

 

[kantor1003]

Kantor, I think for some folks the shower washes off the figurative residue of the day, symbolically, as much as anything. It's a way of leaving that set of activities and problems behind and marking your "own time."

Could be a reason, sure. I just don't think it can be for hygienic reasons alone - unless you have a very physically demanding job, which really isn't the case for most of us.

First of all Kantor, that was more than a little rude. Yes, some people are different from you, get a fucking grip and deal with it....

Whats up with you getting so touchy and angry? If you couldn't see the humor in the way I presented a perfectly valid point, then so be it. I have no problems "getting a fucking grip" and to "deal with it". I just don't see the point of doing that particular activity everyday, thats all.

Oh, and I don't think you are familiar with Norwegian hygienic practice as showering every day is pretty much the norm here, so my questioning of daily showering has nothing to do with me being biased towards "my" county's hygienic norms.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Whats up with you getting so touchy and angry? If you couldn't see the humor in the way I presented a perfectly valid point, then so be it. I have no problems "getting a fucking grip" and to "deal with it". I just don't see the point of doing that particular activity everyday, thats all.

I'm not really angry, just mildly irritated. I get that way when people make overarching judgmental comments. Reread your own post though, how is it any less 'angry' than mine? Also, considering your post did not appear to have any recognizable humorous tones whatsoever, even on the second run though, I'm very not inclined to believe you meant it humorously. It's straight forward, blunt, and vulgar. I don't see how anyone could see it as humorous. *shrugs* I suppose it doesn't matter, if you want it written off that way I guess I'll oblige.

Oh, and I don't think you are familiar with Norwegian hygienic practice as showering every day is pretty much the norm here, so my questioning of daily showering has nothing to do with me being biased towards "my" county's hygienic norms.

The point still stands, your personal hygienic rituals are just as arbitrary as everyone else's.

 

[kantor1003]

..

"if you want it written off that way I guess I'll oblige." it is what it is, I don't want it written off as anything other then the way I intended when I wrote it. I mean, I find it strange that I actually have to explain how such an overstatement is not serious. Perhaps it is stranger that I've had to write two paragraphs about it. This is the last one.

"The point still stands, your personal hygienic rituals are just as arbitrary as everyone else's."
I have never said otherwise. As mentioned, I just don't see how showering every day can be out of hygienic reasons alone, unless one have a very physically demanding job.

 

[Skoffin]

Hygiene for me is in part to spare embarrassment, but mostly I just hate the feeling of being dirty. I kinda wreck my hands with how much I wash them.
I really hate showering though, but feeling unclean is worse.

 

[Synthesis]

The feeling of being dirty irks me, and I live in arguably the southernmost state in the US one can live in, so I tend to sweat profusely when outside for any length of time. To this end, I ensure that my personal hygiene is well taken care of, because it makes me feel better and while mostly monotonous, showers provide a much looked-after respite from an otherwise chaotic day. Insofar as hygiene being a factor when socialising, I couldn't care less about it unless one or both of us exhibits a stench...it tends to be distracting. As far as social standards, I meet them and typically think they're slightly odd (health reasons aside, naturally). The people I associate with don't speak of this very often, so it isn't problematic. The one aspect of personal hygiene that I do enjoy is showering, 'why' I think is stated above somewhere. /shrug Live and let live, hm?

 

[BigApplePi]

Thoughts on it?
I prefer to stay clean. It's more comfortable. If I'm going to be alone for a few days, I may skip one day showering.

How much of a factor is it in considering/socializing with others?
If I a have a meeting with others I will pick an hour or two before to shower that day. Usually I shower in the evening; my wife does in the morning.

Is satisfying your culture's current expectation of cleanliness enough for you? Do you go further? Are you bothered by this general expectation?
When in Rome ---

Do you wish people would shut up about it?
Subject doesn't come up except once a certain person from the old school came to meetings smelling. Two ladies dropped out because of him. I liked him and wanted to try a tactful way to tell him. Later he now comes to meetings okay. Someone got to him before I did. Being an INTP I was too slow.

Are there certain aspects of personal upkeep you enjoy? Aspects you loathe or think are pointless? (e.g. showering, shaving, etc.)
Yes. When I retired I grew a beard and quit haircuts. I or my wife cut my beard every three weeks and I have a ponytail.

.

 

[Fiddling Lass]

I pretty much don't bother unless I'm going somewhere, so that usually amounts to two showers a week. The same thing goes for doing laundry; I'll wash my clothes if I need them to look presentable. And I'll wear the same thing every day until I take a shower or something.
Since I never actually do anything that gets my clothes dirty, I really don't see the point in changing.

I do give attention to my hair; it's the only thing I can be arsed to care about. And if it's exceptionally dirty I will take a special shower just for it. xD

Something tells me that if I had clothes I genuinely loved I would be much more inclined to keep up on my hygiene.

 

[Death]

I shower once a day, wash laundry once a week. Shave once a week. Wash my hair thrice a week. Brush my teeth twice/thrice a day,and that's it.