One such way of communicating with self and making the act interesting for provoking self interest or just for a matter of pretense is sporting a Beard. It acts as an essential participant in the visual prototype of the process of an “act of thinking”. The act of fondling (interacting) with a beard presents the invisible action of thought definitely taking place. Is it only that a beard is looked upon as a respectable accessory to assign genius and credibility to a Thought Process?
Could the appearance of beard on someone be an influence or after-effect of some process of thought or representation of a personality? Does the type of beard leave some message not intended to be shared?
“In the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom, sexual virility, or high status; and, conversely, filthiness, crudeness, or an eccentric disposition.”
Wikipedia
Or is it just a symbol of manliness? Is it an attempt to impose authority? It surely is under the control of the entity sporting it to decide if it needs to be sported or disposed, except when sported for reasons other than psychological(like say religious)
"There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one." -Greek saying
"A kiss without a moustache is like soup without salt." - Breton saying
"How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest - a sign of strength and rule." - St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275
Leonato: You may light on a husband that hath no beard
Beatrice: What should I do with him? Dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting-gentlewoman?
He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him… -William Shakespeare -
Excerpt from 'Much Ado About Nothing' – Act 2, Scene I
Can beard serve a purpose to invoke mystery and insulate oneself from being observed? I strongly feel on this thought as I have atleast one example at my disposition to claim this.
It is a freedom from composure or the need to subscribe to the norms of a composed and integrated disposition. It is to allow oneself to go beyond bonds allowing hair to manifest themselves beyond normally observable limits and making no attempt to tame them other than under the influence of the need to negotiate or compromise with the norms and to half heartedly suppress the desire of it(hair and the mind) making out an identity for itself.
It is a mask to keep the thoughts within and yearn for isolation to have an unbiased perception and out of the fear of manipulation of self or the curse of excess of wisdom assumed to be possessed as compared to others. I t could be also used as a way to mask any weakness.
It could also manifest itself as a precursor to a repository of wisdom to save oneself from the anxiety to place oneself at that respectful and deferred position again and again. It gives a philosophical insight. The shades of the beard invoke an opinion in the observer and make him feel something about the entity sporting it. In the light of this discussion beard could also be to intensify mystery and ignite interest in observer to make him guess bout the entity sporting the beard just for the delight of the entity possessed with his hidden set of thoughts that have weighed upon him and perhaps ready to be revealed to the victor among those who took interest in the entity.
Beard also in my opinion paints experience. It represents a more wise and settled state of mind which is now keen to smile on the ironies rather than getting surprised by them or getting disgusted with the nuances of life. It reflects peace. It also might reflect rebellion on second thoughts or the tireless efforts of the rebellious.
Beard also portrays indifference to method and science and discipline. It represents disinterest in institutions and codes of conduct. It can act as an important tool in intensifying existential existence. I do not feel that beard is due to elementary laziness. Laziness is too small a reason against facing anxious looks of viewers unless you are confident of your disposition. Beards perhaps do not portray unorganized people but does bring out the choice made to be unorganized.
The style of the beard can give us an idea of the closest mix of possibilities discussed above. We could always validate the results of our study by direct revelation by the entity studied o by knowing more about him though other channels.
