The Future Will Despise Us Brutal Bastards

[JasonL]

Floral fragrances and perfumes are tacit acknowledgement by the french that they stink. We who bathe should not need to put on strong floral smells, so I do agree that the strength of domestic fragrances are way too strong relative to need among a non stinky population.

[Eric the .5b]

The thing to remember when taking about bathing is that the "natural" human state is to be a thin-furred savanna ape that still has the same subcutaneous oil production as its much thicker-furred ancestors. Now stick that creature in cities by the millions...it needs to bathe often.

[thoreau]

Look, in the future we'll all either be in virtual reality, or else we'll have technologically modified bodies, so stink won't be an issue anyway. Or at least it won't be an issue for the people who can afford to live in high-tech bodies and/or virtual reality. The rest? Eh, unemployed masses who will never be able to get anywhere in a dystopia with no opportunity, so if they are rational economic actors they will focus on issues bigger than body odor. They'll be too busy arguing over the condiments available at the crappy cheap fast food joints staffed by robots who put people out of work so they can't afford to live in those citeis. Unless they get abortions, so they don't have kids, which they can't afford.

There, I think I crossed at least three or four streams!

[Eric the .5b]

.There, I think I crossed at least three or four streams!

I could put you in a headlock after not bathing or using deodorant for a few days, and we could consider whether my masculinity had become toxic, too.

[the innominate one]

It would be simpler to just expose everybody to just enough ozone to destroy their olfactory sense. Problem solved!

[thoreau]

It would be simpler to just expose everybody to just enough ozone to destroy their olfactory sense. Problem solved!

But what if people can't afford to live in cities with high ozone levels? I don't see a free market solution to that problem.

[thoreau]

What if a college offers a degree in Critical Stinkiness Studies?

[the innominate one]

It would be simpler to just expose everybody to just enough ozone to destroy their olfactory sense. Problem solved!

But what if people can't afford to live in cities with high ozone levels? I don't see a free market solution to that problem.

Sell ozone in canisters of the correct size. Marketing: "stinky coworkers? stinky roommates? stinky spouse? never suffer from bad odors again". I'm sure dhex could work something up.

[the innominate one]

It would be simpler to just expose everybody to just enough ozone to destroy their olfactory sense. Problem solved!

But what if people can't afford to live in cities with high ozone levels? I don't see a free market solution to that problem.

Sell ozone in canisters of the correct size. Marketing: "stinky coworkers? stinky roommates? stinky spouse? never suffer from bad odors again". I'm sure dhex could work something up.

[Jadagul]

Dermatologists recommend that you shouldn't shower more than once a day. My skin is shitty enough as it is, so I try to follow that rule.

I probably shower like five times a week in a typical week. I will always shower before I go out to any social events. I will shower between working out and going pretty much anywhere at all. If I'm just sitting at home and not leaving the house, not-being-showered starts bugging me around day three.

Deodorant is terrible. A lot of sexual attraction is mediated by scent. Deodorant will make people who'd be attracted to you less attracted, and people who'd be repulsed less repulsed. But I'm generally not trying to cuddle with people who are repulsed by my scent, so that's a bad tradeoff; increasing attractiveness variance is a win.

(But of course this is helped by the fact that I'm not super stinky. I would probably have to handle things differently if I had more pronounced body odor. And yes, because of dance, I have a pretty good read on how much odor other people are perceiving from me).

[thoreau]

It would be simpler to just expose everybody to just enough ozone to destroy their olfactory sense. Problem solved!

But what if people can't afford to live in cities with high ozone levels? I don't see a free market solution to that problem.

Sell ozone in canisters of the correct size.

This presumes that people in the future will be able to afford ozone canisters. Robots are going to be taking our jerbs, so if you think selling ozone canisters is a solution then either you are ignoring rising inequality, or you are saying that Bernie should redistribute the wealth.

Also, with ozone destroying the sense of smell people would lose the ability to fully enjoy the flavor of condiments.

[the innominate one]

The tyranny of the condiment manufacturers' shall not stand!

[Painboy]

Dermatologists recommend that you shouldn't shower more than once a day. My skin is shitty enough as it is, so I try to follow that rule.

I probably shower like five times a week in a typical week. I will always shower before I go out to any social events. I will shower between working out and going pretty much anywhere at all. If I'm just sitting at home and not leaving the house, not-being-showered starts bugging me around day three.

Deodorant is terrible. A lot of sexual attraction is mediated by scent. Deodorant will make people who'd be attracted to you less attracted, and people who'd be repulsed less repulsed. But I'm generally not trying to cuddle with people who are repulsed by my scent, so that's a bad tradeoff; increasing attractiveness variance is a win.

(But of course this is helped by the fact that I'm not super stinky. I would probably have to handle things differently if I had more pronounced body odor. And yes, because of dance, I have a pretty good read on how much odor other people are perceiving from me).

I have to take a shower in the morning. It's my morning cup of coffee. If I don't get it it feels like my clothes are sticking to me and I'm still not really "up" yet all day.

Not all showers are equal though. I had really bad dry skin issues for awhile. Especially around shins and calves. It would get so bad I would scratch till they would bleed. At the suggestion of a friend I only used soap on certain parts of the body. It cleared up my dry skin issues in a few days. I now only wash my hair, face, pits, junk, butt, and feet. Basically anything that can smell bad or feel gross.

I have to do deoderant. If only because I think I smell awful regardless of what anyone else thinks. That will erode my confidence to the point whatever possible gains my "natural" scent might help with goes away.

[Aresen]

What if a college offers a degree in Critical Stinkiness Studies?

Don't give them ideas!

[Eric the .5b]

This presumes that people in the future will be able to afford ozone canisters. Robots are going to be taking our jerbs, so if you think selling ozone canisters is a solution then either you are ignoring rising inequality, or you are saying that Bernie should redistribute the wealth.

No, the robots will just nullify our sense of smell between neutering/spaying us and chip-tagging us with our allergies and blood type.

[Eric the .5b]

I probably shower like five times a week in a typical week. I will always shower before I go out to any social events. I will shower between working out and going pretty much anywhere at all. If I'm just sitting at home and not leaving the house, not-being-showered starts bugging me around day three.

Sounds reasonable-ish.

Deodorant is terrible. A lot of sexual attraction is mediated by scent. Deodorant will make people who'd be attracted to you less attracted, and people who'd be repulsed less repulsed. But I'm generally not trying to cuddle with people who are repulsed by my scent, so that's a bad tradeoff; increasing attractiveness variance is a win.

And this would be an "I don't know what to say to that..." moment, except that I'm inclined to trust your findings.

[Jadagul]

Dermatologists recommend that you shouldn't shower more than once a day. My skin is shitty enough as it is, so I try to follow that rule.

I probably shower like five times a week in a typical week. I will always shower before I go out to any social events. I will shower between working out and going pretty much anywhere at all. If I'm just sitting at home and not leaving the house, not-being-showered starts bugging me around day three.

Deodorant is terrible. A lot of sexual attraction is mediated by scent. Deodorant will make people who'd be attracted to you less attracted, and people who'd be repulsed less repulsed. But I'm generally not trying to cuddle with people who are repulsed by my scent, so that's a bad tradeoff; increasing attractiveness variance is a win.

(But of course this is helped by the fact that I'm not super stinky. I would probably have to handle things differently if I had more pronounced body odor. And yes, because of dance, I have a pretty good read on how much odor other people are perceiving from me).

I have to take a shower in the morning. It's my morning cup of coffee. If I don't get it it feels like my clothes are sticking to me and I'm still not really "up" yet all day.

Not all showers are equal though. I had really bad dry skin issues for awhile. Especially around shins and calves. It would get so bad I would scratch till they would bleed. At the suggestion of a friend I only used soap on certain parts of the body. It cleared up my dry skin issues in a few days. I now only wash my hair, face, pits, junk, butt, and feet. Basically anything that can smell bad or feel gross.

I have to do deoderant. If only because I think I smell awful regardless of what anyone else thinks. That will erode my confidence to the point whatever possible gains my "natural" scent might help with goes away.

Yeah, morning routines totally vary from person to person. I'm such a night owl that I don't want to have to get up any earlier than strictly necessary. I set my alarm for 11:00 this morning and was super grumpy getting out of bed at 11:15. But once I'm up and moving I'm up and moving---don't need anything to wake me up other than five minutes of moving.

I get the morning shower experience, but I tend to shower between "get home from work" and "go out dancing/drinking/socializing/whatever". Which means I'm fresh for the social event, and can do hair and possibly makeup accordingly.

I probably shower like five times a week in a typical week. I will always shower before I go out to any social events. I will shower between working out and going pretty much anywhere at all. If I'm just sitting at home and not leaving the house, not-being-showered starts bugging me around day three.

Sounds reasonable-ish.

Deodorant is terrible. A lot of sexual attraction is mediated by scent. Deodorant will make people who'd be attracted to you less attracted, and people who'd be repulsed less repulsed. But I'm generally not trying to cuddle with people who are repulsed by my scent, so that's a bad tradeoff; increasing attractiveness variance is a win.

And this would be an "I don't know what to say to that..." moment, except that I'm inclined to trust your findings.

Pheromones are a thing. Like, think about it---don't you _like_ smelling your partners you've been in love with? There's a reason people in long-distance relationships do things like keep the sheets on the bed for as long as possible after their partners leave from a visit, so the bed smells like them for as long as possible.

[JasonL]

Your seem way more confident about human pheromonology than the trash studies I’ve seen suggest you should be. But I don’t claim to have seen all the studies.

[the innominate one]

I've looked at exactly no peer reviewed studies on human pheromones, but my understanding from secondary and tertiary sources is little to no evidence. I suspect they exist, but effects are negligible compared to other factors.

[JasonL]

I only see them referenced in imma bout to sell you the pill of yo dreams type situations.

[the innominate one]

Those should be ignored or denigrated.

[Jennifer]

There is that anecdote about the time Napoleon wrote to Josephine "I'm coming home; don't wash for three days."

[Dangerman]

If you aren't washing then you aren't cleaning wounds, and even a small cut or pimple can turn bad. Good luck.

[the innominate one]

If you aren't washing then you aren't cleaning wounds, and even a small cut or pimple can turn bad. Good luck.

Immune system.

[lunchstealer]

I do wash cuts when feasible.

Nowadays, on specific advice from my dermatologist because I had to have a dermatologist, I use soap only when absolutely necessary. Soap is murder on certain bits of my skin, most frustratingly the palms. Dishydrosis is a helluva drug.

So I stick with necessity-only for washing. Before handling food that won't be cooked. After handling meat that hasn't been cooked. After using the restroom, although in public restrooms with urinals I will reserve the right to decide whether negotiating the fly has contaminated my hands more than touching the faucet and other things around the sinks. In a shower it's parts-as-needed. Pretty much the only place that's always-with-soap is the buttcrackular and crotchable region. Too much going on there to leave that one up to fate. I use shampoo when there's nonstandard filth in my hair, but otherwise it's conditioner only, and I can get by with water only in a pinch.

But mostly my showers are water-only rinses for not-butt areas. In Colorado that's easy because humidity isn't a thing. In TX or SC, I didn't have the advice of dermatologists so I don't know what I might've done if I'd been on my minimal-soap-use kick, but I doubt it would've been worse.

I also can't use hand-sanitizers except in extreme circumstances. If I'm going to a hospital I make sure I grab a tube of moisturizer and one of hydrocortisone, preferably ointment-in-petroleum-jelly rather than creme, as it provides a better moisture barrier to prevent the drying caused by alcohol in sanitizers.