A curious thought occurred to me as I was looking through this section: do you equate morals with hygiene?

Certain psychological studies have found that people are more likely to judge the actions of others more leniently when they feel clean. (http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/12...iene/3438.html)

Do you tend to think that people who are dirty are less likely to be moral? Do the things that disgust you disgust you not only in that you fear for your health, but that you find them to be evil?

This seems to be illogical to me, but villains in the media, unless they are meant to portray seductive evil, seem to invariably be dirty, smelly, or otherwise unhygienic creatures.

As hygiene is an act that enhances external beauty, and it seems to be the popular opinion that it's 'what's inside that counts,' why do you suppose this is?

Maybe because hygiene is an act or care of oneself, which not only takes will but knowledge too. I've noticed ignorant people are dirty, because they don't know how to clean correctly. If they don't know something as basic as cleaning oneself, what could you expect from them? Or at least, that's how most people view it.
Someone who is not clean is most probably someone who doesn't care about themselves, which gives the message "Why would I care about you?", don't you think?

PS: Hygiene doesn't equate morals though, have you ever seen a narcicist? >.<'

Ignorance of how to clean oneself does not necessarily indicate a lack of altruism towards others, nor does lack of care to oneself indicate a that one does not care about others. Many mystics advocated a life of poverty, in fact, and in those conditions it is very difficult to keep clean. Some people simply neglect hygiene because they have so much else to do in their life. For others, no one taught them what to do.

The misconception reminds me of the misconception they used to have back in Socrates' day, when they assumed that only the rich were likely to be moral.

Haha true xD But, remember we are animals. Those who haven't been taught to act following an ettiquette are more likely to act agressive because they don't know any other way. Maybe that's where they started that stereotype of all poor people are beasts, but truth is they're just a bit more aggresive... or at least where I live [Third World >.>], if you go to buy a shirt at a fancy shop you won't have any problem, but if you go to the port you'll have to fight with the other woman who wants that shirt. Hell, everytime I go to the port there's a couple of people in a fight >.<
Bassically, what I want to say is that someone who has had proper education has been taught "Don't fight" "Do not raise your voice" "Do not hit others" "Don't steal" etc, while in poverty, since as you said adults are far too busy with other things, children aren't checked over and don't have a problem when lieing or taking something without permission >_>'
Also, if someone wants something, they'll find a way. My dad was shocked when the woman who sells him fruits asked him if his cellphone was the [insert model here] and was right. And not only that, she mentioned how she had managed to get a Blackberry [which had just came out in our country at the time xP] Now, how she got it... I don't know.

PS: Well, at least that's how I get people around me opinions based on their way of thinking. I personally think hygiene does have to do with morals, but not much, as it doesn't influence intelligence. Anyone remember Albert Einstein? He hated it when people touched his hair xD

The idea that Morals and Hygiene go hand-in-hand could also be the result of the media, and television. It's amazing what little things we take with us when we watch cartoons in our youth, and even the news when we're older. We learn, without acknowledging we learned, that certain things are 'just this way'.

Ah, the wonders of psychology in media. ^^

Now that you mention it... I do trust hygienic people more than unhygienic people.

Maybe it's because of my family. Everyone in my family is hygienic, except for three uncles. Two of them are criminals who are in constant debt and don't waste money on water to wash themselves with. The other one is a mentally unstable chain-smoker and a heavy alcoholic who lives off fastfood and smells badly. You can imagine that these people shaped an image of unhygienic people in my mind, going back to my earliest memories of them.

I think hygiene tells people something about yourself that can be important to them. Hygienic people appear more organised... or something >.>

people who keep them self clean tend to appeal to everyone, while those that are "dirty" seem
to only appeal to people of similar standereds.
i don't neccisarally think that being clean makes you a better person just more presentable.
but most often when you do seem clean, people think, oh this person takes care of them self, they have respect for themself and others, they don't smell like some thing displeasing, they want to impress me.etc. etc.

another thing, most of the really hygienic people are female.(not meaning to make guys look bad but you know its true.)we always want to seem presentable, and make a good show.
Note:not everyone is this way, just going with most in general.

me, i just like being clean, i like taking showers(2-3 a day if can), i wash my hands frequently, and have hand sanitizer on me at all times.

actually, in North America, where one has free access to cleaning facilities (public pools often have public showers that one can use at any time), when one doesn't take care of themselves it often means there is a deeper problem. for example, fat people tend to be lazy. this is a common thought and it is a common thought because it is fairly true. my sister and i have the same genes, she is fat and i am not, simple because i live a more active life style and i eat less. Unclean people are either too busy to clean themselves (meaning that they hold their goals higher then themselves, which is very dangerous) or they are too lazy to clean themselves (also bad news).

i believe the negativity in association to hygiene comes from its association to laziness. People who are lazy are not to be trusted. that's that. Although now days being lazy seems to be an excuse, which bothers me.... a lot.

Originally Posted by bloodstainedwings

actually, in North America, where one has free access to cleaning facilities (public pools often have public showers that one can use at any time), when one doesn't take care of themselves it often means there is a deeper problem. for example, fat people tend to be lazy. this is a common thought and it is a common thought because it is fairly true. my sister and i have the same genes, she is fat and i am not, simple because i live a more active life style and i eat less. Unclean people are either too busy to clean themselves (meaning that they hold their goals higher then themselves, which is very dangerous) or they are too lazy to clean themselves (also bad news).

i believe the negativity in association to hygiene comes from its association to laziness. People who are lazy are not to be trusted. that's that. Although now days being lazy seems to be an excuse, which bothers me.... a lot.

Still, cleanliness and notions of beauty are culturally defined. In some cultures, being fat is equated with wealth, while being thin is attributed to poverty. Even in the US subcultures exist where size and beauty vary. To a great extent, we gain our cues from the media.

In the US, we deodorize, sanitize, whiten and brighten like crazy. People of other countries don't bathe as frequently as we do or find it necessary to wear deodorant. Sure, it keeps germs at bay, but look at the pay-off. We now have super germs that have evolved. For example, my daughter is now almost 11 and my son is a little over 2mo. When she was an infant, we didn't have the same degree of fear over viruses that could kill her the way we do with our son. My cousin's healthy baby was exposed to someone with a common cold, but his body developed something more deadly - RSV - and had had to be put into a NICU for a week (he's doing much better now).

My point is that our culture has taken notions of cleanliness to an extreme where we are now battling bacteria and viruses that are more deadly now than they were a few years ago. And yet I'm also one who cannot stand being near someone who smells to high heaven or doesn't brush their teeth.

Oddly enough, back in early Christianity, there was a pillar saint who remained on a pillar for decades. People brought food up to him, but he never came down. It was reported that when he died, his body appeared incorrupt (didn't decay or become foul) for a number of days. In fact, they said that his body had a most pleasant, floral aroma.