25 Sep 2015, 11:43 am
25 Sep 2015, 11:49 am
25 Sep 2015, 12:03 pm
NowhereWoman
Velociraptor
Joined: 1 Jul 2009
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 499
Location: Los Angeles, CA
25 Sep 2015, 12:04 pm
25 Sep 2015, 12:18 pm
25 Sep 2015, 12:35 pm
CanTartlySpy wrote:
How normal is it to shower because it's quick rather than because doing so gets you clean? Probably more normal than many think.
In modern fast-paced societies built around efficiency and conformity, it's hard to see that most of us probably do most of what we do because it's both efficient and considered necessary. Doing a thing for the sake of efficiency alone without caring about the end-result is probably less normal, but I don't see why a thing being less normal is cause for concern.
Personally, I shower both to get clean and because I enjoy the experience. Even without two roommates and a life outside the house, I'd still shower daily because I enjoy the sensory experience of warm water, gentle aromas, soaps leaving my skin and hair soft, lather forming soothing patterns as it trickles off my skin... Heck, sometimes I take baths to luxuriate in this experience. Nothing wrong with indulging myself if it's not harming anyone else.
Do what feels right and suits your life. Seriously. The only case where I'd encourage showering against one's will is during an illness, mostly for the ill person's sake since self-reinfection is a possibility and the steam/warmth help ease many symptoms.
In modern fast-paced societies built around efficiency and conformity, it's hard to see that most of us probably do most of what we do because it's both efficient and considered necessary. Doing a thing for the sake of efficiency alone without caring about the end-result is probably less normal, but I don't see why a thing being less normal is cause for concern.
Personally, I shower both to get clean and because I enjoy the experience. Even without two roommates and a life outside the house, I'd still shower daily because I enjoy the sensory experience of warm water, gentle aromas, soaps leaving my skin and hair soft, lather forming soothing patterns as it trickles off my skin... Heck, sometimes I take baths to luxuriate in this experience. Nothing wrong with indulging myself if it's not harming anyone else.
Do what feels right and suits your life. Seriously. The only case where I'd encourage showering against one's will is during an illness, mostly for the ill person's sake since self-reinfection is a possibility and the steam/warmth help ease many symptoms.
Like I said, for some reason I don't feel dirty or gross or unclean like people typically do when they don't shower so therefore I don't think I am and so don't take one because I don't feel it's necessary to take one. (even when others say I do) But what does help me try to take one more often is knowing that a shower is easy and doesn't take long. So basically I say "it's really easy and only takes a few minutes so, why not just do it" For me, knowing "I showered today" basically just lets me know that I fit in with the rest of the society that showers everyday or every other day, rather than "ok, now I'm clean" (don't know how normal that is, but it's just how I am and how I think, I seriously just can't help it. I've seriously never been able to say I feel clean/I feel dirty, because for some reason I never think that I'm dirty)
I don't know why I am this way, but I guess I just need to accept it, huh?
25 Sep 2015, 1:33 pm
25 Sep 2015, 2:10 pm
hey_there wrote:
Like I said, for some reason I don't feel dirty or gross or unclean like people typically do when they don't shower so therefore I don't think I am and so don't take one because I don't feel it's necessary to take one. (even when others say I do) But what does help me try to take one more often is knowing that a shower is easy and doesn't take long. So basically I say "it's really easy and only takes a few minutes so, why not just do it" For me, knowing "I showered today" basically just lets me know that I fit in with the rest of the society that showers everyday or every other day, rather than "ok, now I'm clean" (don't know how normal that is, but it's just how I am and how I think, I seriously just can't help it. I've seriously never been able to say I feel clean/I feel dirty, because for some reason I never think that I'm dirty) I don't know why I am this way, but I guess I just need to accept it, huh?
I don't know why I am this way, but I guess I just need to accept it, huh?Sorry, I misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking how normal it is to do a thing because it's quick, rather than because it's thought by yourself or others to be necessary. So my response was based on thinking that's what you were asking.
The bit about fast-paced societies making it hard to see efficient and necessary (whether actually so or said by others to be so) behavior as simply that was an 'exclusive and' statement. Society says it's necessary. It's also efficient, which a fast-paced society values. Society's influence can make it hard to see why, in fact, any given person really is or is not doing something. Orthogonal to whether or not they should.
I was also trying to say whatever you want to do, for whatever reason, is fine. So yes, accepting the way you are is a good thing.
Spiderpig wrote:
How so? No matter how quickly you can shower, not showering is always quicker.
This was in context of my point about the influence of a society making it difficult to see why an individual engages in certain behaviors or not. The statement must be taken as a whole. Of course not doing a thing is quicker than doing a thing.
25 Sep 2015, 2:13 pm
sorrowfairiewhisper
Veteran
Joined: 17 Feb 2015
Gender: Female
Posts: 837
Location: United Kingdom Dorset
25 Sep 2015, 4:46 pm
25 Sep 2015, 5:10 pm
CanTartlySpy wrote:
hey_there wrote:
Like I said, for some reason I don't feel dirty or gross or unclean like people typically do when they don't shower so therefore I don't think I am and so don't take one because I don't feel it's necessary to take one. (even when others say I do) But what does help me try to take one more often is knowing that a shower is easy and doesn't take long. So basically I say "it's really easy and only takes a few minutes so, why not just do it" For me, knowing "I showered today" basically just lets me know that I fit in with the rest of the society that showers everyday or every other day, rather than "ok, now I'm clean" (don't know how normal that is, but it's just how I am and how I think, I seriously just can't help it. I've seriously never been able to say I feel clean/I feel dirty, because for some reason I never think that I'm dirty) I don't know why I am this way, but I guess I just need to accept it, huh?
I don't know why I am this way, but I guess I just need to accept it, huh?Sorry, I misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking how normal it is to do a thing because it's quick, rather than because it's thought by yourself or others to be necessary. So my response was based on thinking that's what you were asking.
The bit about fast-paced societies making it hard to see efficient and necessary (whether actually so or said by others to be so) behavior as simply that was an 'exclusive and' statement. Society says it's necessary. It's also efficient, which a fast-paced society values. Society's influence can make it hard to see why, in fact, any given person really is or is not doing something. Orthogonal to whether or not they should.
I was also trying to say whatever you want to do, for whatever reason, is fine. So yes, accepting the way you are is a good thing.
Yeah, accepting the way I am is best.
25 Sep 2015, 5:32 pm
starkid wrote:
hey_there wrote:
So I guess my question is is it not normal or weird that I really only try to shower more often because of knowing that showers are easy and only take a few minutes?
It is not normal in the sense that most people probably decide how often to shower based on habit and social concerns.
Your hygiene is not poor. Although people sometimes use it to refer to totally unnecessary social customs such as make-up and shaving, the word "hygiene" is actually about health. Showering once a week and brushing teeth once per day is about enough to maintain your health (although it would be better for you to floss if you want to avoid between-teeth cavities).
Also, soap is bad for you and unnecessary on a regular basis. It strips away the oils your skin uses to maintain moisture.
25 Sep 2015, 10:38 pm
hey_there wrote:
starkid wrote:
hey_there wrote:
So I guess my question is is it not normal or weird that I really only try to shower more often because of knowing that showers are easy and only take a few minutes?
It is not normal in the sense that most people probably decide how often to shower based on habit and social concerns.
Your hygiene is not poor. Although people sometimes use it to refer to totally unnecessary social customs such as make-up and shaving, the word "hygiene" is actually about health. Showering once a week and brushing teeth once per day is about enough to maintain your health (although it would be better for you to floss if you want to avoid between-teeth cavities).
Also, soap is bad for you and unnecessary on a regular basis. It strips away the oils your skin uses to maintain moisture.
Also, unless you actually smell you don't need to soap up every single time- it does strip away oils which in some people causes them to need to shower more often because their bodies over compensate and produce lots more oils. Just warm water is fine too. Like when you rinse dishes in the sink they don't always need to be scrubbed each time.
It might be a sensory thing for me, but I am EXTREMELY sensitive to the odors of other people. To the point where- if I smell other people I hate it .... or love it. Smell is SUPER important for me. So, even if others can't smell it usually I can smell the scent of another person and I hate it. It makes me incredibly irrationally angry mostly because I think most people smell disgusting. I like it most of the time when people cover up their natural scents with deodorant or have no smell. Actually this is a thing in dating too. No matter how much I like a person, if I don't like their smell, I can't date them.
Anyway, all that to say you might not smell yourself per-say, but other more sensitive people might and not showering is often just plain inconsiderate. Like most social conventions it has its place mostly as social lubricant to help everyone get along generally in society.
As for the normality thing, it might not be that normal, but even if it isn't who cares as long as you do it/are clean.
25 Sep 2015, 10:58 pm
26 Sep 2015, 12:07 am
26 Sep 2015, 1:01 am
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