For further evidence of this fact, it needs to be reiterated that components of perfume and cologne are some of the vilest shit you can imagine. Whale vomit, ass-juice of mammals, and so on.
This is because our whole idea of “smell” is a really odd social construct, and the things we think we smell aren’t necessarily objective. A strong smell can mix with another smell and suddenly your brain forgets all social context around it. I could go on for hours how weird it is that we cover up so much of our natural smells when we spent the vast majority of our evolution using scent and body odor as a perfectly natural, normal tool for communicating with each other.
But social influence is stronger than evolution. Some people take this knowledge selectively and ignore in other places, but it’s the heart of many of our broader social issues. This is why even though we spent the last million years or so piled in communal dens and caves, sweaty bodies in contact with each other night and day, we now gag when we pass someone who identifies as a Magic The Gathering player.
Bad smells can indicate unclean conditions. BO is an indicator of that. It’s an evolved feature. Natural odors are one thing but being unclean is another
Absolutely, but there was a time in our species when we could make that differentiation. To have body odor is natural, we certainly didn’t have soap and didn’t always live near water sources, but what we consider body odor now would have been normal and not unpleasant at the time, meanwhile odors that are actually caused by illness would stand out.
Some smells are indicators of future illness. If you aren’t cleaning your self in some way you will get sick. Even animals clean themselves. You don’t need a lot of water. Sponge baths, natural soaps, smoke baths. All sorts of stuff.
Don’t confuse “natural” for good. If you are dirty you smell bad. Being sweaty and mildewy is literally just bad for you. Even cats know to wash themselves lol
Being sweaty daily is normal and fine but like constantly not cleaning is just bad for you lol
I am not advocating for anything here but an awareness of how much of our society is an unnatural product of culture and social communication.
Mental framing can make you hate the presence of something totally natural and normal. Where else can we see that effect at work? That’s the question I’m asking here, I don’t want this falling down some kind of weird slope where I’m arguing against fucking bathing.
For further evidence of this fact, it needs to be reiterated that components of perfume and cologne are some of the vilest shit you can imagine. Whale vomit, ass-juice of mammals, and so on.
This is because our whole idea of “smell” is a really odd social construct, and the things we think we smell aren’t necessarily objective. A strong smell can mix with another smell and suddenly your brain forgets all social context around it. I could go on for hours how weird it is that we cover up so much of our natural smells when we spent the vast majority of our evolution using scent and body odor as a perfectly natural, normal tool for communicating with each other.
But social influence is stronger than evolution. Some people take this knowledge selectively and ignore in other places, but it’s the heart of many of our broader social issues. This is why even though we spent the last million years or so piled in communal dens and caves, sweaty bodies in contact with each other night and day, we now gag when we pass someone who identifies as a Magic The Gathering player.
Bad smells can indicate unclean conditions. BO is an indicator of that. It’s an evolved feature. Natural odors are one thing but being unclean is another
Tbh i’m so glad that unscented body wash exists
Absolutely, but there was a time in our species when we could make that differentiation. To have body odor is natural, we certainly didn’t have soap and didn’t always live near water sources, but what we consider body odor now would have been normal and not unpleasant at the time, meanwhile odors that are actually caused by illness would stand out.
Some smells are indicators of future illness. If you aren’t cleaning your self in some way you will get sick. Even animals clean themselves. You don’t need a lot of water. Sponge baths, natural soaps, smoke baths. All sorts of stuff.
Don’t confuse “natural” for good. If you are dirty you smell bad. Being sweaty and mildewy is literally just bad for you. Even cats know to wash themselves lol
Being sweaty daily is normal and fine but like constantly not cleaning is just bad for you lol
I am not advocating for anything here but an awareness of how much of our society is an unnatural product of culture and social communication.
Mental framing can make you hate the presence of something totally natural and normal. Where else can we see that effect at work? That’s the question I’m asking here, I don’t want this falling down some kind of weird slope where I’m arguing against fucking bathing.