Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Thinking about germaphobes
A couple posts ago I was talking about a germaphobe at the gym (though, according to Annie, she wasn’t a true germaphobe because what was she doing trying to use public sweaty equipment in the first place?) Quite a few of you expressed a similar fear of germs, which got me curious.
I like to understand everything around me, so I looked up a little info on “germaphobia”, which I knew wouldn’t be the official term for the condition, but it was a starting point. According to Wikipedia, it’s actually called “mysophobia”. It’s often linked to OCD, but not always. The article lists the following as characteristics of this condition:
- Obsessive washing, such as repeated handwashing.
- Avoidance of activities that involve uncleanliness.
- Unwillingness to share food, utensils, and other personal items.
- Reluctance toward engagement in social situations that which may involve close groups of people or animals.
- Unwillingness to touch doorknobs directly.
Does this describe you? I guess Annie was right, that lady at the gym wasn’t a true germaphobe. Just a paranoid weirdo I guess. I have some questions though, and please don’t get offended if they sound stupid, because it’s just me being ignorant.
1. What are your feelings on yogurt?
It’s made with bacteria, though it’s the good kind that are beneficial to your digestive system. Are they to be eradicated along with the doorknob germs? Is yogurt usually avoided because of the germ factor? What about sour cream?
2. Do non-germaphobes seem like horrible slobs?
I tried to think of it from the perspective of a germaphobe, and I would think that people like me are colossal germy slime pits. I touch doorknobs, shopping carts and gym equipment with my bare hands and do not worry about washing them. I blow my nose at the dinner table (because the alternative, having a runny nose, is much more disgusting to me). I pick food that I dropped off the floor or table and, provided it looks clean, I’ll eat it anyway (the 5-second rule, though for me it’s more like a 10-second rule). I’m a walking germ farm, aren’t I?
3. How often do you get sick?
Like weese, I tend to think germs make you stronger. You get exposed to them, your immune system dispatches things to take care of them. The more you’re exposed to, the more you’ll be resistant to. Some doctors believe that kids who are overprotected from germs grow up to be less resistant to them. I get sick maybe once a year. I’m curious about how often germaphobes get sick.
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Categories: • Okay that's just weird • Thinking aloud