i can tell you that’s not true at least for me personally
i have a strong aversion to all piercings of the skin, especially ear-rings. first of all it just feels wrong. it feels like societally-accepted socially-encouraged body-self-mutilation. in any sane universe, people would think that you’re crazy if you intentionally drive a nail through your skin, because that’s what it is.
other piercings are slightly less bad because i feel like people actually thought about it instead of just doing it out of social pressure so at least it’s their own conscious choice. still don’t like it though.
Around 20% of piercings get infected. It’s weird to me that someone will cut their finger, wash it, apply antiseptic, and put a bandaid over it. Then that same person will intentionally poke a hole in their skin and shove a foreign object in the wound so it can’t heal properly. From a purely biological perspective piercings don’t make any sense at all.
How many other social animals wear adornments of any kind? And it’s inaccurate to say that behavior is detached from biology which is what I mean by “invalid”.
The “entire point” of piercings is decorative. Social signalling, personal aesthetics, religious practice, ceremony, whatever the reason. They join the long list of things we do with physical drawbacks but mental and interpersonal benefits. Tattoos, sun tans, restrictive shoes/clothing, smoking, drinking, and so on. You can live your life of bodily purity but don’t pretend like your way is more sane or natural.
How many other social animals wear adornments of any kind?
None of them. Who’s trying to hand-wave clothing by saying that humans are social animals? I don’t understand where you’re going with this.
You can live your life of bodily purity but don’t pretend like your way is more sane or natural.
Don’t strawman me. I don’t give a shit what people do to their bodies. I said it doesn’t make sense from a purely biological perspective, which is accurate. Either engage with what I actually said and stop extrapolating or fuck off.
I said it doesn’t make sense from a purely biological perspective
Which is wrong because social behavior is part of our biology. The specifics differ but the impulses are as much a part of our genetics as habing thumbs is.
i can tell you that’s not true at least for me personally
i have a strong aversion to all piercings of the skin, especially ear-rings. first of all it just feels wrong. it feels like societally-accepted socially-encouraged body-self-mutilation. in any sane universe, people would think that you’re crazy if you intentionally drive a nail through your skin, because that’s what it is.
other piercings are slightly less bad because i feel like people actually thought about it instead of just doing it out of social pressure so at least it’s their own conscious choice. still don’t like it though.
Decoration that causes no actual harm? Literal insanity.
Around 20% of piercings get infected. It’s weird to me that someone will cut their finger, wash it, apply antiseptic, and put a bandaid over it. Then that same person will intentionally poke a hole in their skin and shove a foreign object in the wound so it can’t heal properly. From a purely biological perspective piercings don’t make any sense at all.
If you ignore the entire “humans are a social animal” part of it I guess, but that’s an invalid basis.
People get mild infections from all kinds of normal behavior. Eating food, walking outside, existing near children.
That’s what “from a purely biological perspective” means, yes. How many other social animals intentionally injure themselves?
Injury from those activities is an unplanned side effect. Injury is the entire point of piercings. Not really an apples to apples comparison.
How many other social animals wear adornments of any kind? And it’s inaccurate to say that behavior is detached from biology which is what I mean by “invalid”.
The “entire point” of piercings is decorative. Social signalling, personal aesthetics, religious practice, ceremony, whatever the reason. They join the long list of things we do with physical drawbacks but mental and interpersonal benefits. Tattoos, sun tans, restrictive shoes/clothing, smoking, drinking, and so on. You can live your life of bodily purity but don’t pretend like your way is more sane or natural.
None of them. Who’s trying to hand-wave clothing by saying that humans are social animals? I don’t understand where you’re going with this.
Don’t strawman me. I don’t give a shit what people do to their bodies. I said it doesn’t make sense from a purely biological perspective, which is accurate. Either engage with what I actually said and stop extrapolating or fuck off.
Which is wrong because social behavior is part of our biology. The specifics differ but the impulses are as much a part of our genetics as habing thumbs is.
it’s just doing what you like with your body and decorating it. I wouldn’t personally get a piercing, but i can see why people like them.
I feel like getting piercings and tattoos is very human.