When it comes to growing a beard not every man has what it takes. Flaunting a beard at some point in time seems to be a rite of passage for most men. It takes determination, patience and full commitment. You cannot grow a beard in a moment of passion. Interestingly enough a study found that of women surveyed, the majority find men to be less attractive when sporting a full face of hair. However, this same group of women also perceived bearded men as garnering higher respect and being more powerful than clean-shaven men. Over the course of history, men with beards have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom, sexual virility, masculinity, or a higher status. Beards may also be perceived to be associated with creative types; Artists, Musicians, Writers, Actors and the like. On the negative side it can mean a lack of general cleanliness, homelessness, a loss of refinement and in our present day and age, terrorists. Ha! So many people fear the beard or they don't trust it or a combination of both. What I find interesting is that the beard is the only thing one man feels comfortable enough to approach another man - one whom he has never met - and compliment him on such. No man will ever do the same with jeans, t-shirt or shoes (unless he's gay) And if they do, it would be met with an uneasy reaction. Not so with a beard compliment. "Never trust a man with a beard" is an old saying I'm sure we all have heard, and a strange saying to say the least, nonetheless spread by a man with the inability to grow a face of hair. If these words of wisdom were true, should I not trust myself? If I tell myself not to trust myself because I have a beard, how can I trust what I say to be trustworthy given that I have a beard? No, I have a beard and am not to be trusted, so therefore I will ignore my advice and trust myself. But wait. I have a beard. Never trust a man with a beard. Look at politicians. Almost none of them sport a facial fuzz. George Osborne, Nick Clegg, Peter Mandelson. Trustworthy? I think not. In fact you could say you should never trust an un-bearded politician. David Cameron's nowhere near to growing a beard. A sign surely you should definitely never trust him. It's foolproof. Never trust a politician without a beard. Period. If we were not to trust men with beards, where would we be now? Think of all the great men who sported a face rug. Let's start with the two most famous men in the history of the world. Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. The men who invented Christmas and Easter Eggs. You never ever saw them without their beards, ever. OK, Santa Claus is fictional but maybe so is Jesus Christ. I can't imagine them having the impact that they have beardless. Can you? What about all the other great bearded men. Leonardo Da Vinci? Beard. Vincent Van Gogh? Beard. Charles Dickens? Beard. William Shakespeare? Beard. Abraham Lincoln? Beard. Zeus, Socrates, Plato. Beard. Beard. Beard. Karl Marx, Grigori Rasputin, Che Guevara. Beard. Beard. Beard. That's just a few, but what would have happened if our ancestors had shunned such greats purely on the basis that the protagonists 'Had a beard'?
People ask me why I have a beard. There is no real reason other than I just can't be bothered to shave my face anymore. It really does just occur naturally. It's not a life choice. It just happens. Honest. You can trust me. I have a beard now. My face just sprouts hair regularly. Having said that, there are elements of having such a creature that are pleasurable. Once you get past of the itchy faze a few weeks in, it's rather quite soft and I like the way if feels. I also like to brush and comb it. I miss that since I started shaving the head almost 20 years ago. I enjoy stroking it when I get asked a posing question. I like the way it smells. Really. It smells good. You have to rub it a few times, but the sheer manly scent generated is second only to the wonderful aroma of a crew cut. It's hard to describe, but bearded men know what I am talking about. I can also store food in my beard. Did I enjoy that s'more I had earlier? Good. I can lick my beard and still pick out bits of graham cracker, chocolate bar and marshmallow for hours afterward. I'm only joking. I don't eat s'mores. In fact I don't think I ever ate one. I do have to be careful of the food that passes through my whiskers. I enjoy the fact it confirms me to the younger generation as a 'real adult'. I embrace that it enables me to give a ticking off to strangers - they listen, rarely questioning what I say. Sometimes they're frozen in fear. Maybe I enjoy that too much. But hey, shut the fuck up. I've got a beard. Facial hair is cool. Seriously. Having a dark forest of hair covering your face gives you an aura of suave mystery and a classy, debonair air. Paired with sunglasses, confidence and a killer smile, you can be one badmotherfucker. For the dudes without beards who might be reading this, I encourage you to grow hair on those chins. You'll feel more like a man than ever before. You can take my beard for it. All in all, I think beards should be celebrated. I think we can finally dispel the myth. Bearded men can be trusted. Bearded women however..................
