new thread
was just thinking about this and figured it might amuse/interest some of you...
Long hair is perhaps the only thing in nature that is uniquely human. Many animals mate for life, many communicate with sound (verbally,) many have single children and raise them as a family. Several other primates have opposable thumbs and use tools (as do some otters and birds) to get food. Many animals have a complex social structure and display the ability to learn. The only thing in nature I can think of that is uniquely human is long hair. Why is that?
As we evolved larger and larger brains, the blood flow to our brains drastically increased. Anyone has has had a wound on their head can tell you the head bleeds a LOT. With all that blood up there, we were probably losing a lot of heat. and thus those with longer hair on their heads were able to conserve their heat and energy more. Long hair also provides a cushion around the head and protects it. So in conclusion, having long hair helped us become the smartest and most powerful species on earth. For all we know, it could have been a key feature in our dominance over other competing species.
So, wear your long hair proudly! It is proof that you are a superior being! If anyone asks you why you don't get a haircut like a 'normal' person, just smile and tell them you are embracing your humanity, living as you were meant to live. And if you are feeling a little ambitious, ask them why they cut all their hair off. Are they trying to be more like monkeys? :-D
One could also ask men why they shave. Are they trying to be more like girls? [evil grin]
Bill
lol, that recently occurred to me. Even the violent homophobes, gangstas, and anti-effeminates often shave all of their facial hair off. The irony and hypocrisy are amazing, but what more would you expect, really? Close-minded often seems to be a very literal term, letting nothing in, and nothing out, rendered worse when what's outside really needs to get in, and what's inside really needs to get out.
Peace
lol thats hilarious when you thin about it, but true
And a very evil grin I'm having right now after reading this, too!!
- Ken
I think that some guys are trying to be more like girls and I should point out that I find those guys to be....Ummmmm, well, not bad. :):):):)
Yes, the longest hair of all species makes us unique in all of God's creation. I believe that God wanted us to be unique and that is why he created us with the longest hair of all species.
The hair in a horse's tail runs a close second.
I intend to always keep my hair long, since that is natural and what God intended. To see what natural, unmodified, full length hair looks like, just click on my photo.
Absalom
So, do you trim your nails? [g]
(Be ready with an answer to that if you are going to use the "God intended" line to defend your mane.)
Bill
Unfortunately, my nails when they get too long, tend to break BELOW the quick, causing bleeding and pain, making it necessary to trim them.
Absalom
Absalom
The answer is that everybody's hair has a genetically determined terminal length, which has been determined by God and evolution to be the 'right' length for us. Nails on the other hand are continuously growing and wearing off, like our skin. So trimming nails acts like bathing in removing excess skin in a way that makes us aesthetically pleasing rather than having the rough and dirty appearance caused purely by wear and tear. Bathing skin and trimminmg nails are actually made necessary by our non-natural actions of wearing clothes and using machines to do our work rather than our hands.
This is all purely theoretical, but I would think that finger and toe nails are somewhat of an "evolutionary leftover" from ancestor species that had claws. I think they were meant to be used as such and continually grow because they wear out. Long hair, on the other hand, is something that only humans have and as such, I don't think it can really be accurately compared to facial hair and nails, as many other animals have these.
Also, just to get it out of the way, I'm not trying to push the evolution over intelligent design debate. There are plenty of forums for such discussion and this is not one of them. I'm just pointing out the long hair is unique to humans and that makes it special.
Or, worse, (considering the horse's tail coming in close second) our heads have something terribly in common with a horse's ass!
Robert
I dont know why Bible Gestapo always likes to tell us that God wants us to be short haired. If he had intended it so he would make it so. Remember Samson and Deliah? Samson has really long hair and apprantly he has some kind of covenant (same reason why any of the Essenes Naserite WONT cut hair too) and it makes him strong. I dont think God thinks less of Samson therefore I think the Bible Gestapo is more concerned with image than God. I heard this line at a christian rock station... he says how some lady asked him "don't you think the earring is hurting your relationship with God", the guy said no. Then the lady goes on and says "Why don't you think the earring is hurting your relationship with Jesus" and he says you notice how Bible Gestapo never accept no for an answer. He goes on to say "Well I invited Jesus to live in my heart, not in my earlobe"
As for fingernails I think God intended our fingernail to grow long because a while ago we actually use it, therefore it wears out. Since this day and age we hardly use our nails we have nail clippers.
Well, there is always a counter-argument that men can grow long hair for cutting as a sign of submission to the will of their diety.
Now that is a wonderful response that has me laughing! Thank you for mentioning that retort, Tai Fu. I'd say the same saying goes for long hair too.
Elizabeth
...simply because the hair is on its tail. I don't count a horse's mane for the same reason.
Let's face it, there's something really strange and unique about longhaired humans.
Yes, long hair offers protection, etc. but there is no need for it to be as long as say down to your knees.
Adam & Eve had long hair and Adam had a beard. Scissors were not known. And yet they almost always make Adam shorthaired and beardless.
Hmmmmm, well, on second thought, perhaps he WAS beardless: since he lived to 930 years of age, his adolescence period probably lasted through the first couple hundred years. But anyway, they both had long hair.
'Adam' comes from the stem adm mening 'red' as in red clay or earth. Perhaps he had reddish skin and/or hair.
I don't count a horse's mane because it's on his neck.
Maybe to picture what Adam may have looked like you could find the most generic human around... For example if you got a generic dog with brown hair or whatever, then 2 dog of the same color reproduce and have dogs with black hair or white hair or polka dotted hair... therefore perhaps Adam may have had reddish or yellowish skin, neither white nor black. I wonder if white man had white skin because when the people settled north they wear all kinds of clothes therefore have less exposure to the sun, therefore the skin produce less pigments. Remember skin pigments were made because of exposure to the UV ray of the sun in order to protect it. I guess that explains why you find white man in colder region and black man in tropical region, and chinese/indian looking man in between...
...the way humans look is affected--over time--by where they live.
As you said, in very northern climates, the skin and hair coloring is pale to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
Religious teachers fail to realize a simple truth: Adam & Eve had no scissors...and that it would be a long time before metals could be formed into knives, etc.
I suppose sharpened stones could have been used to cut hair, but tying it back would have been easier.
Besides--following the story line--once they were thrown out of their garden paradise, long hair would have protected them from wind and rain, etc.
Anyway, you had some good ideas in your post and I think many of them were right on the mark.
Some people theorize it might be like peacock feathers. Mates were, at some point, selected based on hair length. Even if only one gender was selected on this basis, both genders would get the trait since most genes aren't on the sex chromosomes.
Either that, or God thinks it looks good.
Take your pick.
Friends,
What a brilliant group you are. All (at least most) of the components for a good answer have been expressed. Who will underetake to integrate them? Not I, at least not after 3:00 Am at my watchpost. But I will say a few words on which I hope someone more articulate than I can build.
This is an issue of the relationship between nature and culture.
Most people have not a grasp that culture is the softwear that enables them to use nature, but because they do not understand that there is a variety of softwear, they confuse their softwear with reality, with what Kant might have called "ein ding an sich." Did I get that right. [Sorry. My German is oxidized.] In other words, most people confuse their culture with ultimate reality.
This self deception is what enables fundamentalisms of all sorts to thrive. Our way is the way that god intended... This fiction of course creates a measure of security, especially if most people you know agree with you.
Here is the rub. Culture is necessary, because humans are the most adaptable of all species and can live in the tropics and at the north pole. Humans are also the only specie which has the capacity to form symbols. I can tell my dog to heel and he knows to walk by my left knee or I put a leash on him. I can not tell him what I feel, "Maxwell, I wish I could maximize your freedom by understanding and internalizing appropriate limits -- you will never have to wear the leach as long as you listen to me and come when I call. You hear? This means no more chasing cats?"
Furthermore, we cannot spontaneously solve every problem which we face, so we need preestablished routines. The question ios whether we know when we do not ahve to follow these pre-established routines and when then impede our health and happiness.
Since World War I, our culture has definied masulinity with short hair because hair had to be cut as a health measure when
men with disease and vermin were recruited into the military. The Gillette company also though it would be a good marketing strategy if they giave the dough boys a razor in their recruitment kit, and when they were discharged they bought Gillette products for the rest of their lives.
This brings us very close to the issues discussed by the prophet ERIK, well known to many of you. I respect prophet ERIC's leadership, but I am uncoomfortable with his calling our movement "The Hair Religion." I think he is right, our movement is a religion, but I think it is much broader than hair. I think it is about the quality of life. I would call it the religion of "Reality."
Our basic tenets are:
Do no harm.
Talk rather than fight.
Be yourself.
Comform to your culture when it builds friendship, facilitates cooperation and facilitates freedom, but do not feel you must dress and manage your hair, fascial and otherwise, in conformity to the modal presentation.
Celebrate differences: male and female, gay and straight, in the words of the protestant children's hymn: "Yellow, Red, Black and White, they are precious in her sight..., all the children of the world.." or abstractly undersanding that racism is abhorrent, right handed people should be treated equally with left handed people, even if a strict constructionist would tell you that this is not specified in the US Constitution.
But when culture is simply the preferenc of a majority, then have the strength to stand up and be yourself. For in doing so you are claiming your strength and your leadership potential.
You do not have to have long hair to be strong, but growing long hair will make you stronger.
In conclusion, I am offering this tentative integration of the issues expressed, and would appreciate feedback in articulating the philosophy of long hair. Not to put a too grandiose twist on it, I think we are the pioneers of a healthier culture.
Caledonian
Those are some very sweeping statements, and I don't think they necessarily apply to everyone that participates on these boards. I, for one, while I like to think I'm a fairly easy-going, tolerant and peaceful person, do not completely agree with all of the above, and none of that has anything to do with the length of my hair. And my feelings about my hair or any of the topics mentioned above have nothing to do with any kind of religion. If that's the way you feel about your hair and how you get along in the world, great, but be careful about trying to speak about "we" feel. "We" might not all feel the same way you do.
Jim
Ditto
Hi Caledonian,
WOW, I don't recall ever reading something so well articulated on this topic before... Well, on the other hand, I just now am remembering Bill Choisser's article in the Links section, "On Being A Longhair", --- now THAT certainly is an example of a well-articulated piece of writing! I don't know if Bill would ever be so bold as to sum up his statements into a description of it being, "THEPhilosophy of Long Hair", though... In fact, I don't know if ANYbody can claim to be able to speak for all longhairs, --- they are by far a more diverse group of people than I ever at first thought would be!
I do firmly believe, though, that within the vast majority of longhairs lies an inner strength of character, with an independent mind which is able to be more original in thought and behavior. And, for those who are just beginning to grow their hair out for the 1st time... the very PROCESS of growing one's hair long actually strengthens these qualities of character, --- *especially* when an individual is able to withstand society's outside pressure to cut one's hair in order to conform to "the norm"!
Anyway, thanks again for the interesting post, and for taking the time to express your thoughts so well!
- Ken in San Francisco
im surprised theres so many beleivers in god here!
also ive always thought that humans would have originally had dreadlocks due to the lack of (or just not bothering with) combs and such
also didnt the persians and greeks used to all have beards for that reason? they thought shaved men where silly looking or impersinateing women
This is a good argument for why we have hair but not why people can grow as much as they do. All you need is shoulder length to cover the head and neck well. I'd say any more length than that is counterproductive since longer hair weighs more so reduces the ability of the hair on top of the head to trap as much air. I have noticed the effect myself when my hair is loose then braided which takes away the loft.
Best argument I have seen for length itself is that it is an indicator of long term health, a way of wearing your history.
Elizabeth
Another theory is included in this article about the 'aquatic ape' theory of human development:-
http://www.seashepherd.org/ocean_realm/ocean_realm_spr01.html
However, it doesn't explain why pigs, hippos, elephants, etc. don't have long hair.
OTOH, this article:-
http://www.serpentfd.org/historyevolutionchapter4.html
explains it in terms of neoteny (basically retention of infantile features in the adult). The usual reason given for neoteny in humans is that it facilitates brain development.
I am not a professional in this field, but have read a lot and already knew about neoteny and the 'aquatic ape' theory (which I don't really think are related to oneanother), both of which seem to have a sound basis to me. These articles were high up in the hits in an advanced Google search looking for hair and growth and hominids (i.e. proto-humans) and 'human development'. I wasn't looking for any particular theory, but these popped out of the search results.
perhaps it can also act like a sort of cape or cloak when its extreemely long..for warmth purposes
also i noticed that a lot of people form hot countries have curly afro hair while colder clmate people have long straight hair.....i guess thats pretty indicative of the heat conservation theory as curls ventolate easily
also its a way of saying "hey im doing really well...i can keep 5 years of hair and look how healthy it is!"