Is growing a beard part of being a man?

You no longer look like an intellectual.

You're not qualified to make that judgement

Forum gold Ed, forum gold.

They don't make 'em like that...

Came across this while doing some research (not research into beards).

The Spectator No. 331 Thursday, March 20, 1712 Budgell

Stolidam præbet tibi vellere barbam.

Pers.translation

When I was last with my Friend Sir Roger in Westminster-Abby, I
observed that he stood longer than ordinary before the Bust of a
venerable old Man. I was at a loss to guess the Reason of it, when
after some time he pointed to the Figure, and asked me if I did not
think that our Fore-fathers looked much wiser in their Beards than we
do without them? For my part, says he, when I am walking in my Gallery
in the Country, and see my Ancestors, who many of them died before
they were of my Age, I cannot forbear regarding them as so many old
Patriarchs, and at the same time looking upon myself as an idle
Smock-fac'd young Fellow. I love to see your Abrahams, your Isaacs,
and your Jacobs, as we have them in old Pieces of Tapestry, with
Beards below their Girdles, that cover half the Hangings. The Knight
added, if I would recommend Beards in one of my Papers, and endeavour
to restore human Faces to their Ancient Dignity, that upon a Month's
warning he would undertake to lead up the Fashion himself in a pair of
Whiskers.

I smiled at my Friend's Fancy; but after we parted, could not forbear
reflecting on the Metamorphoses our Faces have undergone in this
Particular.

The Beard, conformable to the Notion of my Friend Sir Roger, was for
many Ages look'd upon as the Type of Wisdom. Lucian more than once
rallies the Philosophers of his Time, who endeavour'd to rival one
another in Beard; and represents a learned Man who stood for a
Professorship in Philosophy, as unqualify'd for it by the Shortness of
his Beard.

Ælian, in his Account of Zoilus, the pretended Critick, who wrote
against Homer and Plato, and thought himself wiser than all who had
gone before him, tells us that this Zoilus had a very long Beard that
hung down upon his Breast, but no Hair upon his Head, which he always
kept close shaved, regarding, it seems, the Hairs of his Head as so
many Suckers, which if they had been suffer'd to grow, might have
drawn away the Nourishment from his Chin, and by that means have
starved his Beard.

I have read somewhere that one of the Popes refus'd to accept an
Edition of a Saint's Works, which were presented to him, because the
Saint in his Effigies before the Book, was drawn without a Beard.

We see by these Instances what Homage the World has formerly paid to
Beards; and that a Barber was not then allow'd to make those
Depredations on the Faces of the Learned, which have been permitted
him of later Years.

Accordingly several wise Nations have been so extremely Jealous of the
least Ruffle offer'd to their Beard, that they seem to have fixed the
Point of Honour principally in that Part. The Spaniards were
wonderfully tender in this Particular.

Don Quevedo, in his third Vision on the Last Judgment, has carry'd the
Humour very far, when he tells us that one of his vain-glorious
Countrymen, after having receiv'd Sentence, was taken into custody by
a couple of evil Spirits; but that his Guides happening to disorder
his Mustachoes, they were forced to recompose them with a Pair of
Curling-irons before they could get him to file off.

If we look into the History of our own Nation, we shall find that the
Beard flourish'd in the Saxon Heptarchy, but was very much discourag'd
under the Norman Line. It shot out, however, from time to time, in
several Reigns under different Shapes. The last Effort it made seems
to have been in Queen Mary's Days, as the curious Reader may find, if
he pleases to peruse the Figures of Cardinal Poole, and Bishop
Gardiner; tho' at the same time, I think it may be question'd, if Zeal
against Popery has not induced our Protestant Painters to extend the
Beards of these two Persecutors beyond their natural Dimensions, in
order to make them appear the more terrible.

I find but few Beards worth taking notice of in the Reign of King
James the First.

During the Civil Wars there appeared one, which makes too great a
Figure in Story to be passed over in Silence; I mean that of the
redoubted Hudibras, an Account of which Butler has transmitted to
Posterity in the following Lines:

His tawny Beard was th' equal Grace
Both of his Wisdom, and his Face;
In Cut and Dye so like a Tyle,
A sudden View it would beguile:
The upper Part thereof was Whey,
The nether Orange mixt with Grey.

The Whisker continu'd for some time among us after the Expiration of
Beards; but this is a Subject which I shall not here enter upon,
having discussed it at large in a distinct Treatise, which I keep by
me in Manuscript, upon the Mustachoe.

If my Friend Sir Roger's Project, of introducing Beards, should take
effect, I fear the Luxury of the present Age would make it a very
expensive Fashion. There is no question but the Beaux would soon
provide themselves with false ones of the lightest Colours, and the
most immoderate Lengths. A fair Beard, of the Tapestry-Size Sir Roger
seems to approve, could not come under twenty Guineas. The famous
Golden Beard of Æsculapius would hardly be more valuable than one made
in the Extravagance of the Fashion.

Besides, we are not certain that the Ladies would not come into the
Mode, when they take the Air on Horse-back. They already appear in
Hats and Feathers, Coats and Perriwigs; and I see no reason why we
should not suppose that they would have their Riding-Beards on the
same Occasion.

I may give the Moral of this Discourse, in another Paper,

X.

Having a beard clearly gives you a special connection to the earth.

Did a squirrel run off with Jonny's GoPro?

The day I retire, I'm going to start me one of them there beards........I'm not allowed to grow one at the minute

I'm not allowed to grow one at the minute

Breathing equipment?

When I was a kid, I really wanted a beard.

Now I think you all look like cunts.

Actually the real reason I don't have one is that I tried around 2003 and I looked like Benny Hill x Abe Lincoln. So I settled for Benny Hill instead.

Yeah....not allowed

Keith Flett is part of the beard liberation front.
I don't buy it

Avec une barbe, tout devient possible (poss also memes thread)

https://youtu.be/-0njme058Ds

Anyone making their own beard oil?

Last night I ordered jojoba, almond, fractionated coconut, and essential oils.

No but I'm getting to the stage where I need to - now that I'm growing it just to see how long it can get before someone in the office mentions it. I suspect no one will, they'll just regard me with even more suspicion than they do already.

I'm not but I think I could, it can't be too different from baking?

The pandemic means longer beard and face masks means messy beard.

My dream product right now would be a small very finely toothed comb I could carry in the pocket of my jeans. Ideally no longer than a credit card and about half the width. Stainless steel or titanium.

If you have any suggestions please share.

?

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A nit comb of some description? Might be too fine though?

Ah should have refreshed before postin

https://heinnie.com/trayvax-shift-wallet-comb

Current beard

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@Light_EDDed - Also looks like some '80s German porn.