Appealing to prospective partners is not why I have a beard. Improving my standing with other men is not why I have a beard.
I have a beard because…I like it. It’s for me. I was clean shaven for a year for a job and hated it so much I quit.
There have been a lot of articles about men’s beards since hipsters started rocking full beards in the last couple of decades, and they’re often loaded with opinions against it. It’s usually not more scientifically interesting than asking “why animals grow hair”. They do, and nobody really cares enough to ask “why”.
I’d rather like to know “the real reason men shave”. That’s somewhat more interesting, because it’s something humans have created and there ought to be a reason why.
How about “it’s easier then shaving everyday”?
8 years later - yup. Look at this thick, manly symbol of my lack of fucks.
You can tell a good developer/sysadmin by the length of their beard. If they don’t have to shave to get a job that means they’re 1337
Beards are makeup for men, change my mind.
Do nothing, and voilà! No makeup.
Do nothing, and voilà! Beard.
Beards take effort to remove, not to grow, and exist completely independently from human fashion and technology
Beards do take effort if you don’t wanna look like Robinson Crusoe.
My kid didn’t think I look enough like a real dad so he harangued me until I grew a beard. And hey it grew on me and eventually even on my wife. Well you know what I mean.