What does a beard mean in men psychology. Why do men wear beards? The voice also matters a lot.
Image copyright getty Image caption Thin beard - why is she?
It may seem that facial hair serves men solely to find a girlfriend. But, as Tamsin Saxton found out, it may not be that simple.
What is the meaning of a beard from an evolutionary point of view? Women, children and great amount men do just fine without it.
However, today on the street you can meet people whose face is covered with hair of all shapes and sizes, well-groomed and not very well-groomed, from stylish stubble to oiled mustaches and hipster beards.
When a man cares about his appearance, it is easiest to assume that he is looking for his soul mate.
- Why do we need a chin
- Why do we need lips
- Why evolution got rid of facial hair
But according to our research, hairline on the face, probably evolved in part to help men strengthen their position among other members of their sex.
Compared to males and females of many other primates, males and females tend to be very different from each other - partly because of the facial hair of the stronger sex.
At the same time, external differences between males and females are often reduced to traits formed by evolution through the process of sexual selection - such features increased the chances of mating.
Image copyright getty Image caption A beard does not necessarily attract the fair sex.It is curious to note that women, as it turned out, are not so much interested in men with a beard.
And while some studies have found that the fair sex really likes moderate or even abundant facial hair, other studies have shown that ladies prefer clean-shaven men.
We have no data to say that men evolved beards specifically to attract women.
This led the researchers to the idea that in this case we are dealing with the second type of sexual selection.
In order to have offspring, it is often not enough just to be attractive. For sexual partners, you have to fight with other members of your gender.
An eccentric timid guy who presses against the wall will not withstand the competition from his more uninhibited brethren. Scientists have found evidence that the beard in men appeared precisely for this purpose.
Beards and mustaches were in vogue when a large number of men were forced to compete for the favor of fewer women
A man's ability to grow a full beard is not related to testosterone levels.
Despite this, a number of studies have shown that both sexes perceive bearded men as more mature, strong and aggressive compared to beardless men.
But the dominant male can get a better chance of mating by intimidating rivals. It has been so throughout the history of mankind, and this statement is true even now.
Men with the ability to dominate find it much easier to find sexual partners: according to a genetic study, about 8% of the modern male population of Asia are descendants of Genghis Khan and his relatives.
According to a study by scholar Nigel Barber, the fashion for beards and mustaches in Great Britain varied between 1842 and 1971 depending on the ratio of single men to unmarried women.
As it turned out, beards and mustaches came into vogue at a time when a large number of men were forced to compete for the favor of a smaller number of women.
Image copyright getty Image caption The bearded conqueror Genghis Khan conquered a significant part of Asia - as if in confirmation of the thesis about the success of bearded menA beard is not the only sign of a dominant male, the voice can also indicate this.
In order to trace the evolutionary path of beards and voices, we decided to find out if they are considered an indicator of attractiveness, influence - or both.
We asked 20 men and 20 women to rate the power and attractiveness of six men who each starred in four videos on different stages facial hair growth.
In addition, with the help of computer technology, we created four versions of each video, changing the sound of the voices of the same men to a higher and lower register.
The presence of a beard did not affect the assessment of the attractiveness of a man in general, but those whose face was adorned with abundant vegetation seemed to be more influential.
However, the influence of a man was estimated the higher, the lower his voice sounded.
The presence of a beard was not consistently significant in assessing a man's attractiveness, but those with profuse facial hair appeared to be more influential, consistent with previous studies.
The internal conflict between the desire to attract a member of the opposite sex and the need to compete with others is reflected not only in the beard and voice.
Image copyright getty Image caption The ability to grow a beard is not necessarily related to testosterone levels.The average man believes that his body should be more muscular than the one that, according to polls, women like.
And women, as a rule, exaggerate the attractiveness of thinness and bright makeup for the opposite sex.
We don’t always know exactly what attracts the opposite sex, but perhaps this is partly due to the fact that instinct tells us not only to attract a partner, but to surpass our rivals in everything.
Of course, most of these studies were conducted among the population of Western countries. Makeup use, average body size, and even the ability to grow a beard vary significantly around the world, which means that results may have been different in countries in other regions.
The bottom line is that there are often differences in appearance- be it facial hair or anything else - is determined precisely by our need to compete with others.
But you can't please everyone all at once...
- Read on English language you can on the website
- Tamsin Saxton's article was originally published
We associate the image of a modern successful businessman or politician not only with an Armani suit, a Cartier watch or Lalique cufflinks, but also with a perfectly shaved face. To let go of a beard can be afforded by people who are not at all bound by a strict style. Meanwhile, a few centuries ago, it was the beard that served as a measure of strength, intelligence and other male virtues. It's not in vain folk wisdom and the writers exploiting it to the fullest concluded the power of magicians and wizards not just anywhere, but precisely in a beard. Let us recall at least Chernomor, Blue Beard or Old Man Hottabych. What happened?
Excursion to anatomy
Let us first turn to the subject, with beards, at first glance, not connected in any way. Many psychologists and sociologists are concerned about the question: why in different corners of the planet not spoiled by civilization, where people go naked both in winter and summer, men in without fail cover their reproductive organ?
As a result of observations of great apes, the following hypothesis was born. The phallus is hidden in order to ... maintain peace and order in the tribe. The fact is that in higher primates this organ serves not only for procreation and departure natural needs but also to determine social status.
Similar behavioral reflexes have been preserved in humans. Just what should a leader do if it suddenly “didn’t work” for him? Such a physiological problem will inevitably lead to the loss of the “occupied position”. Or another situation: an erection occurs in a young warrior who has no idea to fight for the championship. But the penis, unlike the tongue, cannot lie. You can't order him. It remains only to hide it so that it does not show itself and does not interfere with the routine of life. And among some tribes in New Guinea, the length of the cover worn on the reproductive organ is still directly proportional to social status.
Hormones and historical facts
A beard, unlike a penis, is a secondary sexual characteristic. But it is directly related to the potency of its owner. After all, facial hair is special. They grow the more magnificent, the higher the level of male sex hormones in the body. In this they differ from those on the top of the head, which, from an overabundance of male sex hormones, begin to wither and fall out. Doctors even have special term: « androgenetic alopecia". So it’s not for nothing that at all times the beard was treated with special reverence: after all, it served as a “mirror” male power its owner. And although not as clearly as the phallus, it also indicated "who is in charge here." IN ancient egypt an artificial long beard was an indispensable attribute of supreme power. It was worn even by female pharaohs (a direct analogy with the aforementioned covers).
By the way, contrary to popular belief, beard shaving in Russia began long before Peter I. Only men did it, let's say, of a special nature: those who liked to tint their lips and dress up in women's dresses. It is now clear why the boyars resisted Peter's innovation so much.
Official version mass failure from a beard. In the middle of the 17th century, 15-year-old Louis XIV ascended the throne. The young king's beard has not yet grown. Imitating him, the courtiers began to shave. And then the custom spread to other European countries.
However, perhaps this was not the case. What if the royal servants said goodbye to beards, not paying tribute to fashion, but simply showing understandable delicacy towards the young monarch? Well, it's indecent to wear a symbol of masculinity if a senior in rank does not have one.
Today, a certain atavism is seen in the beard. Say, yes, it was a useful thing when it was necessary to hide your face from frost or hot wind with sand. However, in civilized times, a person depends little on nature, and therefore the need for a beard has disappeared. Let-let! If the beard were only "clothing for the face", then nature would reward women with it too. And so it turned out to be a male (albeit secondary) sexual characteristic.
Beard today
Of course, purely hygienic reasons can be seen in the rejection of facial hair. But one Canadian recently set up such an experiment: for six months he shaved only half of his face. Then he noted with satisfaction that the vegetated half feels much more comfortable than the shaved one. Today, the beard has survived only as a sign of belonging to one or another social group. Can you imagine a sea captain without a beard? And the priest or the deacon? By the way, the first in the pictures were always depicted with full beards, and the second - with some rare and unimpressive ones. And this is no wonder. After all, a clerk is a clergyman who, for some reason, turned out to be insolvent, unworthy of ordination to the dignity.
After all, shaving is the great equalizer. WITH smooth face everyone can walk. But growing a beard of a certain shape, if nature does not allow it, is much more difficult.
By the way, a fact proven by psychologists: in a crowd of men, women primarily single out bearded men. And there is no need to listen to idle speculation that the beard, they say, is prickly, and that kissing its bearer is unpleasant. This is pure untruth. Well, judge for yourself: can they long hair prick more than, say, a three-hour stubble? Where the hair just tickles, barely noticeable "stumps" leave scratches. A different kind erotic caresses, the beard generally adds an incomparable flavor. Any woman will appreciate it if she can relax and put aside prejudice.
Those who think that having a beard eliminates the need for shaving and general facial care are mistaken. Unless if a man decided to overgrow, like a goblin, and settle somewhere in the forest. In all other cases, to maintain good looks, a whole arsenal of care products is required. This and a variety of razors, combs, foams and gels.
The outline of the beard and mustache, in accordance with the shape chosen by their owner, must be constantly maintained, otherwise the hairs that have sprouted next to it will give an important attribute a sloppy look. male beauty. It is believed that a more or less clean outline of the contours of a beard or mustache is possible with the help of electric razors with vibroknives. You need to be careful that the hand does not tremble and does not shave a gap in the beard.
For lovers of the popular last years three-day beards cannot be dispensed with without an electric razor, since only with its ability to provide a uniform length of hairs can the desired shape be achieved.
Those who are accustomed to "wet" shaving with foam or gel need special skill when using a safety blade, because, in the absence of the danger of cutting, there is still a danger of disturbing the given area.
Of course, maintaining a beard is more difficult than just shaving every day. But trust me, it's worth it.
Warning: All of the above is only true for Europeans. Mongoloids and Negroids (as well as their descendants) have a rare beard genetically.
The Chinese have a beard, although it grows, but in rare cases reaches the abundance of Karl Marx and Russian boyars. Moreover, according to the theory Chinese medicine It is believed that thick beard- a sign of the good functioning of the gallbladder, and the hieroglyph denoting this very organ is also "courage" ... That is, a direct associative cultural connection "beard" - "courage". That is why in the images of ancient military heroes you can always see them bearded, especially personalities who passed into myth, for example, Guan-di or Guan Yu.
Source: http://www.diva.by/beauty/face/homecare/46864.html
In the Middle Ages, a man without a beard or with a thin beard was usually perceived as weak, unmanly and barren, beardlessness was not unconditionally despised: it still retained some of its original associations with both divinity and sadness and repentance. Neither the angels nor Adam had a beard before the fall; beardless appeared in medieval folklore and the first people. Sometimes beardlessness was perceived as the result of asceticism, and in the 20th century. it was believed that shaved priests resemble in their appearance both angels in their divinity, and boys in their innocence and humility. Nevertheless, the ability to grow a beard was generally considered essential for a man, and even in those times when beards were not widely worn, there was a tendency to consider a clean-shaven face as a sign of femininity and look for some special justification for those sections of the male population that regularly shaved, for example for monks and clergy.
As in antiquity, in the Middle Ages, beards were considered a sign of strength and energy- both physical and moral. In his Enarrationes in Psalmos, Augustine wrote that "a strong man is marked by a beard; the presence of a beard implies a young, energetic, active, quick person. When we mean such people, we say that they are bearded." In his commentary on the book of Ezra, Bede writes that "the beard, as a metaphor for masculinity and maturity, is usually perceived as a sign of dignity." On the contrary, shaving meant the renunciation of strength and independence (as in traditional societies), it implied submission, obedience, as well as sexual renunciation. This was looked at sometimes favorably, sometimes unfavorably; accordingly, shaving could sometimes symbolize weakness and unmanly non-resistance to vice, at least in a figurative sense. It is not surprising that Elred of Rievossky in his sermons spoke of the beard as a sign and the beginning of manhood.
Besides, beards have always been a sign of seniority, both literally and figuratively. Uncut and cut hair - on the head and on the cheeks - played the role of symbols of the Old and New Testaments of law and grace, respectively. So Ezekiel, before and after he shaved off his beard "by the command of God," represented the old and the new justice, respectively; similarly, Burchard of Bellevossky contrasted novices and monks among the Cistercians. According to the "Life of Theodore of Edessa" (X century), teeth appear at the beginning of life, a beard - at its apogee, and gray hair - in old age. According to Alain of Lille, the four main ages of a man respectively differed: the first fluff on the cheeks; denser growth; luxurious fleece and, finally, such a powerful beard that she can no longer do without a razor ... A beard distinguishes a boy from a man. William the Conqueror complained that he had to defend Normandy while still "being completely beardless", i.e. when he was still a boy.
The beard was also a sign of dignity, a symbol of freedom and honors. Cutting off or pulling out a beard - unless, of course, it was part of a generally recognized ritual - was considered a grave insult. Beards were already an object of special protection in the ancient German law books. So, in England in the Anglo-Saxon era, anyone who cut off a person’s beard had, according to the laws of Alfred, to pay a wergeld of 20 shillings, and according to the terms of the Zemsky Peace by Frederick Barbarossa (1152), it was strictly forbidden to grab a person by the beard or tear out of her at least a hair. The Acts of the Count of Barcelona opens with a story about how the first Count killed a man who pulled his beard. Godfried of Viterbo has a description of how angry Otto I was at the knight who dared to touch his beard "without a razor" and pulled out a few hairs from it.
The beards of the vanquished were collected as a sign of victories and superiority - say the Scandinavian sagas, as well as the legends of the Arthurian cycle. In the saga of Orvar-Odda, the kings of the eastern Baltic had to send their beards and mustaches to Ogmund every year, and Odd ripped off his own beard "with skin under it, right down to the meat." The giant Reto in Geoffrey of Monmug's Historia regum Britanniae had a cloak woven from the beards of the kings he had killed. The giant ordered Arthur to send his beard to this cloak, but Arthur killed him and took possession of both his beard and cloak.
Forced shaving of the beard and head was a severe punishment. and applied to rebels. The name of Golgotha - Calvaria ("Bald Mountain") is explained by a number of authors by the fact that before the crucifixion of Christ they tonsured. In 546, Sandragizil was scourged and shaved - "so great were his crimes", Mummol's hair and beard were torn out before his execution in 585; during the triumphal entry of King Wamba into Toledo in 673, his opponents were led "naked, with shaved beards and barefoot." Even at the end of the XI century. the rebel Gossuin of Oisy-le-Verges, before he was released by Count Baldwin of Genetau (Hainault), had his beard cut off as a sign of shame. In the east of Europe, forced shaving was used as a punishment for both minor and major crimes. Emperor Theophilus in the 11th century punished the quaestor who failed in his duties by cutting off his beard and setting it on fire.
Wearing a beard is back in fashion. If for someone today a man's beard is just a fashion trend, then in ancient times it was considered a symbol of status, wealth and strong character.
IN ancient Rus' a man without a beard was not considered a man. They didn’t conclude contracts and agreements with a beardless man, they didn’t trust him, they didn’t take him on Good work. All because a man without a beard was considered feminine, and therefore frivolous and weak. What is the meaning of a beard and why should one wear it?
The meaning of the word "beard"
beard means "WEALTH OF THE KIND". In Rus', it was believed that the longer and thicker the beard, the healthier, stronger and richer the family and the whole clan of a man. Also, good-quality vegetation on the chin symbolized a close connection in the family between generations, protection and healthy numerous offspring.
Beard - a sign of courage and strength
Previously, men without a beard were not taken into the army. As soon as it grew in a young man, he was accepted into military units with open arms! It is impossible to say for sure whether a beard really gives a man courage and strength. Most likely, the power of autosuggestion simply acted here. After all, we are a reflection of our thoughts, principles and beliefs. On the other hand, if you look at a man with a beard, he seems to us a hundred times more serious, stronger and more dangerous than the one with a clean-shaven chin.
Men's intuition lies in the beard
It is believed that intuition is purely female feature. Most likely, they began to think so after Peter the Great ordered the boyars to shave their beards and facial hair was no longer mandatory. The hair on the human body is a kind of antenna that transmits energy and information from outer space to activate intuition. Hair on the head serves as such an antenna for women, and for men - on the face.
The longer the beard, the happier the wife
Beard - a symbol of power, recognition, respect, status, as well as a sign of good potency. The girls' parents tried to marry a bearded man. The longer the beard of the husband, the happier and stronger the marriage will be.
Beard - a symbol of belonging to God's Family
A man with a beard emphasizes that God created him in his own image, which means that facial hair is an important part of his image. In this regard, the beard was considered a kind of amulet. In ancient times, the beard was forcibly cut off for those who committed a crime or a bad deed. Depriving a man of a beard, he was deprived of the protection of higher powers.
Finally, one more weighty argument in favor of the beard - all the great minds of the world wore it! Among the bearded men known throughout the planet there are great artists, talented writers and brilliant scientists. Is it a coincidence?
Hello, friends!
My name is Artyom Pavlov. I lead a group of psychologists who do behavior analysis. Today we will tell you about the psychology of the beard. Why do men wear beards? Why are beards so different? And what does this or that form of a beard mean?
To begin with, let's figure out what a beard is from the point of view of perception, from the point of view of understanding oneself?
Men grow facial hair for a reason. In a sense, hair psychologically personifies a certain strength, primarily volitional qualities, vital energy, if you like. Exclusive masculinity, something that women are deprived of, unless of course we take Tolkien's characters.
Facial beard, facial hair are enhancers. What amplifiers? - you ask. I will answer you - if the various elements of the face, and this basic postulate physiognomy associated with certain areas of the cerebral cortex, they reflect the development of various personality traits.
Accordingly, facial hair: a mustache, a beard or other elements, give an enhancer of those features that reflect certain facial features. When a person wants to enhance his personal quality, he grows a beard. It's like one of the defense mechanisms.
Your humble servant also has a mustache and beard. They appeared not just like that, but at a certain stage of life. And I reflected very well which life events I was inspired to grow a beard and mustache.
Several historical and psychological examples.
Vladimir Lenin, everyone knows him and everyone perfectly represents Lenin's beard. Beard - wedge. Trotsky had a similar beard, in a sense, their reflection is the same.
This is a verbal chin enhancer. The chin itself is not so much a reflection of the striking qualities of the jaw as a characteristic of the ability to convince. People with a pronounced chin forward, it is clearly visible in profile, excellent speakers.
When the way to get what you want in life or the main activity of a person is persuasion and negotiation, intuitively there is a desire to strengthen these abilities.
The magnificent oratorical possibilities that Lenin and Trotsky have are enhanced precisely by the beard. They wanted to speak better, to convince more. These are people who are set up, first of all, for a verbal struggle, and in this situation they intuitively wanted to grow a beard of the appropriate format.
And here is another interesting character, but of our time - Eduard Limonov. Look, does it remind you of anything? Wedge beard - straightforwardness, percussive qualities, attempts to pressure and enhance one's oratorical abilities. If you observe such a person, then be sure that he will be strong in a dispute.
Next example. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, the man who led the United States through the Civil War of 1861-1865. The guy from a poor family, worked hard and worked hard. “Self-made,” as observers now like to say.
In 1860, during his inauguration for the first presidential term, he did not have a beard and mustache. He has a good strong-willed jaw and, in principle, he achieved what he wanted, without additional extra efforts. We are talking with you that a beard is some kind of extra effort. So what happened?
1860 - no beard, no mustache, inauguration, became president.
1861 - begins Civil War, Southerners attack the North, a bloody, very heavy confrontation within the American people.
In the photographs of 1862, Lincoln has a fully grown beard along with sideburns. What did he strengthen? First of all, a strong-willed nodule, it strengthened strong-willed qualities. This is the musculus masseter.
This site has a description of what a strong-willed nodule is and how it is connected with strong-willed qualities, this is one of the very interesting examples, remnants of our animal past, when we kept and grabbed prey. Then our strong-willed nodules developed.
People who are used to overcoming life difficulties, their volitional nodules are well developed. Lincoln develops in himself, additionally strengthens these elements, because it is necessary to lead the country through the Civil War.
The most difficult situation at the front, because the Southerners were actively winning at first, and somewhere in 1863 the Northerners were practically on the verge of defeat.
1864, Lincoln loses part of his beard on strong-willed jaws, only it remains middle part, but still high enough. Everything was fine with his strong-willed qualities, but the intuitive desire to strengthen even more, it does not leave him, but it has already become a little easier.
In 1864, practically most of the beard was gone, and in 1865 last photo 2 months before the murder, his strong-willed jaws were shaved smoothly. In fact, only a part of the beard remained, which fixes and enhances the qualities of active actions.
The beard on the chin forms the visual platform of the jaw. This is the beard of an active person who goes forward and pushes his desires and plans in all directions. As the massacre ended, Lincoln calmed down, removed the part of the beard that was no longer needed for him. Here's an interesting phenomenon.
In conclusion, another Soviet-Russian example is Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov.
I love his work, I have been following him for many years, a person is in constant search.
Initially, Grebenshchikov had pronounced leadership qualities did not have. If you look at his young photos. Yes, he is a creator, an extraordinary personality, a wonderful person, a musician, kind. He was friends with Tsoi, "dove of peace", in a sense. They were romantic, delicate.
Look how many compositions have changed at Aquarium, a huge number.
Grebenshchikov is a person who is constantly experimenting with everything around him: with his music, personality and, of course, with his appearance.
He is actively studying Eastern philosophy, then he goes to Japan, then to America, he constantly conducts experiments with himself and in the process of experimenting with himself and developing his personality, strengthens certain elements of himself. Either he grows a beard on his verbal chin, or he grows sideburns. He makes himself a big full-bodied beard - this is fundamentality, solidity, "a peasant's beard."
The last point that I would like to voice is probably more historical and political. Today, so many men grow beards, absolutely not understanding why they do it. In fact, for many, life is not as easy as they want to make it out to be.
A man is the foundation of a family, this is a kind of core that should hold this family together. A man has no right to cry, a man has no right to give up, because behind him are women, children, those who trust him, those who respect him.
A man who has grown a beard is a man who wants to be stronger. There is a lot to be said about the beard. It's actually a very good long story about awareness of being.
Learn physiognomy and live in the real world!
Psychologist-physiognomist Artyom Pavlov.
