new thread
A few people have highlighted the point tha nature seems to dictate that our hair will grow, and that's reason enough to grow it.
Recently some have gone as far to say that to cut hair would be a "crime against nature."
Whilst I think anyone is entittled to do whatever the hell they like with their hair if it pleases them, doesn't anyone think that this statement is a little thin on substance?
I mean sure - before man invented scissors this was the way of things, but in 8,000 years I'd like to think we've made a little progress... and by now its acceptable to take pride in your appearance and to try and look your personal best whenever possible?
I guess what I'm saying is I'm not sure I understand people who want "long hair" and not a "long hair style" and I'd like to hear how everyone perceives that difference, if they percieve one at all.
Well, it's kind of a "hippy" thing, that whole sense of being closer to Nature and Mother Earth. Just my thought.
On the whole "long hair" and not "Long hairstyle", I think the difference is only percieved. Those with "just" long hair, have a style. It's just merely however the natural growth of the hair styles itself, which kind of ties into that whole "natural is better" concept.
Granted, I'm glad for the invention of scissors, but I also think that just letting the hair grow on its own is an attractive hairstyle (for some).
scissors... I thought you were supposed to just bang two peices of flint with your hair in the middle! At least thats how I've always done it ... or is that the way to make fire? ;)
Well.....here it goes.....I am in favor of long hair, I think that anyone wanting to grow it to there butts or longer are a better man than me. I would enjoy having mine long again, but with my job it's basically impossible...it gets in to everything.....I would like to think that there is a place for everyone in this world no matter how long their hair is......I have to say that the longest that mine has ever gotten before someone in my house cut it while I was sleeping was to mid back, and boy don't think that words didn't fly with that one....but what ya gonna do when you have a Uncle that thinks he's god and no one else matters....my hair would have probally scraped the ground by 20 if it wasn't for him......but thats life and we move on. I am planning on regorwing my hair after I retire to as long as it can get.
thanks
I kinda thought long hair was it's own style.
Well I kinda discussed this before - I think style has to be crafted, its something thats applied in someway... and I guess I'm of the opinion that takes something more than leaving your hair untouched for 2-3 years.
I suppose there is an argument to say that just growing is a style in itself, but I don't rate it... it seems a thin excuse for not been bothered...
I guy I know has set-up a company offering Web Design Services (for those of you who don't know that's what I do for a living...) His web site sucks! So he tells me - "I want it to look basic and unprofessional because it wont intimidate my clients" - BULLS***!! He's just useless at web design and can't be bothered to learn - his clients will get a similiar level of quality site as his own. Yet he has the audacity to claim he's a web 'designer'...
Similiarly I don't see how someone who makes no effort to cultivate the appearance of their hair, can claim to have a 'hair style' this applies to people who just Shave their head equally to people who just Grow!
Whilst I dont want to offend anyone's spirtual reasoning for not cutting their hair - I can't accept that just leaving it out to grow is a style... its a statement of conviction and will-power sure... (which is admireable, unlike this guys efforts at web design.) But its not really a 'style' unless you make effort to enhance or cultivate its appearance... whether this is trimming, conditioning, taking vitamins or whatever...
I give up, what does this have to do with Windows NT?
Assuming your question was sincere...
You see, as it was once said, if you try to attribute any one reason to an action, you are sure to be wrong. As usual, I'll use me as an example!
On one hand, I've stated before that I like long hair, not because cutting it would be a crime against nature per se, but because it is a functional (depending on where you live and how you use it) part of the body, and there is no reason to cut it off for me. Personally, I DO believe it has some spiritual purpose, but not through the whole "becoming closer to nature" thing ThatBallGuy pointed out. Primarily, I believe (personal opinion here) that the hair is just as much a part of the body, and thus just as much an extension of our soul, as our skin, eyes, or bones. Secondly, I like feeling independant and organic (as opposed to reactive and regulated), and part of that for me is not lopping off my hair unless I make the conscious decision to do so. Additionally, I feel that long hair is just "me;" you know what I'm talking about here, right? Finally (and for me, one of the more subconcious reasons), having long hair allows me to have some small connection with many of the people you would call hippies. The general group of environmentalists, artists, anarchists, revolutionaries, etc. which tend to have long hair (once again, this is more on the subconscience level).
On the other hand, long hair make quite an actual, secular statement. My long hair tells others that I haven't accepted convention for the sake of accepting convention, especially where conventional thought strictly favors short hair. My long--and essentially unstyled--hair tends to say that I am somewhat of a rebel to tradition, but not some punk or preppy kid without a cause. Finally, my hair identifies me with the types of people I described before.
Style, at least for me, would be one of the weakest reasons I don't cut my hair. Making some statements about myself and spiritual matters rank up there at the top.
I guess what I'm trying to say includes two things: a person with long hair has more of a choice than between "nature or style," and could in fact have long hair for both reasons; and that the use of such simple labels as "long hair" and "style" is an extremely unjust simplification. Anybody who thinks hair is just dead matter on the head is ignoring lots of aspects of hair, and anybody who only explains hair with how natural it is forgets that everything is natural according to science, and nothing in our modern world short of isolated forest is natural habitat.
Just my humble opinion!
Jesse
That's really admireable - Respect!
Good Opinions Jesse, though I think your about about one step away from making an argument for conforming to social trends and "style".
What was it that I stated which draws you to this conclusion? If you take things out of context, you can even say I stated that "hair is just dead matter on the head." Keep in mind that I stated that, while we don't live in a natural habitat, there are far more reasons than "style" for having a certain style of hair, including rules (or the ignorance or disobedience of them), statements, solidarity with certain persons, and religious/spiritual beliefs.
The choice of nature vs. style is extremely oversimplified, but running on such a statement would create a situation where you could say I was any number of steps from making such an argument.
At least, that's how I see things!
Crime? Wonder who ever said that? It IS true that Nature has bestowed both Men and Womens hair to grow long in our "natural state." But Nature also has NOT given us Antibiotics, and thank goodness these have been "invented." But with the advent of sheers, we Humans have made-up all kinds of fun styles. So, perhaps not a crime for sure..........but definately against Mother Natures initial plan for us. We DO know that hair is vital to holding heat for our bodies.........its natural protection for our survival?
I'd argue that we are naturally pre-disposed to seek out beauty, (however we perceive it) as it triggers an emotional response because instictively we associate beauty with health and fertility.
The trend of society at large it to perceive well maintained hair (long or short) as beautiful. Therefore to inhibit ourselves by ignoring this instinct is an equal crime against nature. Man has always sought of the ways to attract the opposite sex, and enhancing our appearance has always been part of it.
Granted if you feel following mothernature in never cutting your hair enhances your appearance, (and it could well do,) then you are free to pursue it. For me - I just look a mess!
From what I've discussed with others, cutting hair isn't really considered an act (as opposed to "crime") against nature because it's "unnatural." Consider this: We "create" antibiotics and clothes, yet these things are generally OK for the type I'm speaking of (though there are quite a few acceptions). On the other hand, DESTROYING the things nature made for us (i.e. forests, animals, the land, our hair, etc.) is where the "crime" is.
That's how I feel about things a little, but most of my more important beliefs were described before.
If I get your drift, it would seem that you are saying that it's a crime that men with long hair are not allowed to pick a hair style of their own choosing.
I don't know if I was saying that, but I certainly agree with it.
I guess what I was saying was a little more contraversial.. ie: That, to not ever trim, condition or style your hair in anyway... means you just have hair, rather than a hairstyle.
I do think that a lot of image concious guys hold back from growing their hair because they see the 'hippy' example of 'following mothernature' and don't like the results. (Obviously that's personal taste, and if mothernature's the way you want to go then good luck to you,) but I think there would be more longhaired guys, if they could see guys who had hair like say Jarko for example, not the styles but just look at the condition of his hair in his pictures, its excellent!
Long hair is still considered very much a "hippy" realm and I think (rightly or wrongly, [WRONGLY]) thats what holds back its wider acceptance.
Sorry, I'm not trying to get a hippys here, its soceities problem not yours, I'm just trying to circumnavigate a perception.
Yes God gave us hair, whilst He didnt give animals hair but fur instead.
Of course, what we do to our hair is up to us, afterall nails are a natural thing, yet we cut it. But hair is different. Long nails is more likely to hurt us than long hair. You just tie the hair and it`s no inconvenient.
Hair is different.
A few people have highlighted the point tha nature seems to dictate that our hair will grow, and that's reason enough to grow it.
I allow my hair to grow because that's what it does best. I believe it is far less hassle having long hair than fighting to keep it short. It has absolutely nothing to do with style to me, I wouldn't dream of having a trim to "even things up".
However, if I wake up one morning and feel like taking a couple of inches off... I'll probably do it. I certainly wouldn't expend unnecessary mental energy in the fashion of St. Thomas Aquinas and his "Natural Law Theory."
I think it is a crime against nature if the wish to have long hair is suppressed.
I know I wanted it since I was very little but never could realize it because of different opinions coming from the stronger force.
Besite this I think everyone should have the ability to decide what they want or not, and I know that my point of view about hair can not be generalized, and it shouldn't, I only want not to give up my own little Universe.
wolfgang
Great philosophy!
I do think the original comments about hair cutting being "a crime against nature" were made in jest, drawing a parallel to the antiquated legislative labeling of certain bedroom activities as such. So I've been surprised to see those comments carried off into such a serious direction. None of us let our toenails grow to terminal, so let's get real here....
Before leaving the parallel with sex, let me just say that my take on haircuts is that one is like sex - wonderful if you want it and horrible if you don't. Matters that concern our own bodies are naturally taken like that. No one wants his body dominated. This is a natural response, because in the wild, getting dominated usually occurs about two seconds before getting eaten.
So why do we get so charged up about the concept of hair cutting? The answer is simple: Because too often people want to foist that upon us against our will. Bet you didn't get the same emotional flow when you read my words about toenail cutting, now, did you? :-) That was because you've never had anyone foist unwanted toenail clipping on you.
Limiting this discussion to us - longhairs - there are several good reasons to trim one's hair, and these are wonderful if they are chosen by us:
To have the length we want Not everyone wants waist length hair. Some guys feel a length between mid-back and the shoulders is more attractive or practical.To neaten up the ends. Guys with curly hair may be wasting their time doing this since the ends are hidden in among the other hair. Hair that spirals to its tips like mine would just look chopped if I did this. But guys with straight hair and mildly wavy hair will have a hair style that is very sleek except at the bottom unless they do this.To have a mullet or undercut. If a guy wants such a cut, I say let him have it in peace! Those are also longhair styles, and those guys go through all the pain of growing and dealing with hair bigots that the rest of us deal with.To not have neck hair. Some guys get hair at the scruff of their neck that is very different in appearance from the rest of their hair. If such a man is to wear his hair in a ponytail often, he may want to cut off such hair. It will never grow long, anyway.To transition to one's beard. Most of us don't want a terminal beard, and the hair in front of our ears must be trimmed to make an attractive transition there.
Those reasons all deal with maintaining one's achieved look. "Trims while growing it out" are another reason, and that merits a separate discussion....
Growing out one's hair is like pulling a band-aid off the hairy part of your arm. Do you rip right through the unpleasant experience, or do you opt for less pain but over a longer period of time? :-)
If a job situation or personal preference mandates you look as great as possible, and if you have straight or slightly wavy hair so how the ends are trimmed actually shows, then a man may want to get trims, even though this draws out the unpleasant awkward stage and is a course fraught with the perils of haircutters taking off too much and drawing the awkward stage out even longer. It's a course that most longhairs decide is not for them, but if a man wants to go that route, then let's support him! It is, after all, HIS HAIR.
As for me, I trim my toenails, my fingernails, my nose hair, my eyebrows (because they curl onto the surface of my eyeballs if I don't), and my BEARD. Yeah, although my hair is fine and curly, I have a beard with strands as thick as tooth brush bristles. I could grow a huge long beard, but if it did that, people would hardly notice my long hair. I've tried different beard lengths, and what I like is about two centimeters long. That length is darned near a buzz cut to this crowd, but I feel no guilt about confessing to that here, because it is MY BEARD, and that length is WHAT I WANT.
I do not trim my hair. It grows in spirals and it has terminaled out at just about the length I want. Spirals look like crap if they don't end in naturally tapered tips. My hair. My decision. :-)
Peace,
A few people have highlighted the point tha nature seems to dictate that our hair will grow, and that's reason enough to grow it.
Recently some have gone as far to say that to cut hair would be a "crime against nature."
I don't know who said this, but to me this doesn't hold much with me. It's natural to have babies too, but I still protect myself. It's natural for women to have hair on their legs, but they shave them (at least typically). You get the point...
Whilst I think anyone is entittled to do whatever the hell they like with their hair if it pleases them, doesn't anyone think that this statement is a little thin on substance?
"Substance" is a relative term. There are going to be varying reasons on why one is growing, whether it's a "crime against nature", "for style", "because I can", "to be rebellious", "because it's who I am", etc. To me, those are opinions and so who are we to say whether or not it lacks substance? Rather, we just may not agree.
I mean sure - before man invented scissors this was the way of things, but in 8,000 years I'd like to think we've made a little progress... and by now its acceptable to take pride in your appearance and to try and look your personal best whenever possible?
I guess what I'm saying is I'm not sure I understand people who want "long hair" and not a "long hair style" and I'd like to hear how everyone perceives that difference, if they percieve one at all.
To me, "long hair", in and of itself, is a style. I don't see a difference between those two phrases, at least not standing alone.
...can someone tell me how to just italicize one sentence?
...can someone tell me how to just italicize one sentence?
< i > Enter Sentence Here < /i >
Do it only without the spaces before and after the i's.
- Brian
Thanks, Bri.
That was a test! Hopefully it worked!