My partner, who is always more observant of human behaviour than I am, commented this morning that there seems to be a major uptick, to use a current catch-phrase, in the number of men growing beards.
I have always thought that beards are a cover-up for insecurity except, perhaps, during fleeting moments of fashion fads or temporary medical issues such as broken jaws. A bias, maybe, but my observation is that beards and insecurity seem to go together as a reflection of personality.
Equally, when you get older and your beard is white, it adds at least ten years to your age in appearance and, quite often, in your demeanour as well. I have to ask, “Why would anyone do that to themselves? Why would anyone in their right mind want to look more decrepit than they’re already becoming?”
It is tempting to think that the anxiety created by the Covid 19 has caused this increase in the incidence of beards. It’s also possible that more beards are merely a result of pure laziness since you don’t have to worry about going to the office anymore, or even out in public very often.
All of this, added to the fact that beards are unhygienic. They itch, they are receptacle for spilled remnants of meals and they constantly need attention to look remotely decent; that is, unless you want to carry a scythe as an additional prop to your fashion statement.
If you are genetically challenged by having no chin, I suppose you might consider covering up that issue but that comes under insecurity again. Physical, not mental, this time.
I shall look forward with interest to seeing if this phenomenon of more beards survives the demise of the current medical crisis, if I remember long enough to look.
I obviously have too much time on my hands to be addressing a topic such as this!
