Defining Clean

‍

Hey! It's Bumgun Ben, this blog is a series of ponderings around one's perspective around cleanliness.

‍

Speaking to a lot of people on this subject, one question that arises is the matter of cleanliness and how we all have different perspectives and definitions for this.

‍

Firstly, let's understand the definitions between clean and dirty.

‍

The term "clean" can have several meanings, depending on the context:

1. Physical Cleanliness: Free from dirt, stains, or impurities; well-maintained. For example, a clean room or clean clothes.
2. Hygiene: Referring to the absence of harmful bacteria or pathogens, often associated with health and sanitation.
3. Clarity or Purity: Describing something that is free from unwanted elements, such as clean water or clean air.
4. Moral or Ethical: Used to describe something that is honest or virtuous, such as a clean conscience.
5. Simplicity: In design or aesthetics, "clean" may refer to a simple, uncluttered style.

Overall, "clean" conveys the idea of being free from unwanted substances or conditions.

‍

The term "dirty" generally refers to the presence of dirt, stains, or impurities. Here are some specific meanings depending on the context:

1. Physical Cleanliness: Covered in dirt, grime, or filth; unclean or soiled. For example, dirty clothes or a dirty floor.
2. Hygiene: Lacking cleanliness to the extent that it poses health risks, such as dirty hands or a dirty environment.
3. Morality or Ethics: Used to describe something unethical, dishonest, or immoral, such as dirty tactics or a dirty deal.
4. Obscenity: In language or humor, "dirty" can refer to content that is obscene or indecent, like dirty jokes.
5. Messy or Disorganized: Describing a cluttered or chaotic situation.

Overall, "dirty" conveys the idea of being unclean, impure, or morally questionable.

‍

Put simply,

Clean is defined as: free from dirt or unwanted or harmful matter.

Dirty is defined as: marked with an unclean (dirty) or unwanted substance.

‍

‍

‍

So, to clean one thing would mean to get another thing dirty.

‍

Because at Bumguns we love talking s*it, lets take poo as an example, which is not generally considered dirty when inside your body, but when exiting your body considered dirty. Residual poo left ono your skin would be considered as dirty and unwanted, because of its ability to cause irritation or a smell. I would like to reiterate here that when using toilet paper alone to wipe after doing a number 2, there is still a high chance of feaces being left on your skin. Is there a chance you could be dirty right now?

‍

Whilst we are on bodily substances lets talk about B.O or body odour. It is natural to sweat and sweat contains pheromones Sweat is bodily fluid that gives feedback of ones internal environment as a resul

‍

It is natural to sweat and sweat contains pheromones (which are basically hormones acting for you outside of your body where you are attracted to smells that resonate with you and others are attracted to smells that resonate with them.)

‍

Sweat is bodily fluid that gives feedback of ones internal environment. So could an unnatural body odour represent an unnatural diet coming from an unnatural food system in our society?

‍

For example I notice a great difference in the smell of my sweat the days after eating lots of meat or drinking lots of alcohol, listening to this feedback I have reduced the consumption of these things.

‍

So one could clean themselves and be free from unwanted matter, then sweat, but it depends on if they embody or own their own scent as to whether they would class themselves as dirty. Then other people would have their own view as to whether they believe that persons smell is palatable to them or not and if they think they are clean or dirty.

‍

This can be applied to most of our bodily fluids, snot, spit and urine that are clean when safely in the nose, mouth or bladder but the second they leave the body they can be classed as dirty.

‍

However it is important to understand that they are predominantly bodily feedback mechanisms, and by looking at them when they do leave our body can help better understand our internal workings. For example if ones wee is yellow then they are dehydrated, or if one has excess snot then this may mean they are consuming too much mucus producing foods such as dairy.

‍

I am trying to say that we may be missing out on important internal information if we instantly discard our bodily fluids as dirty and don't take a moment to reflect on what information they could be giving us. The same goes for poo, for example dutch toilets are designed with an "inspection shelf" so that people can inspect their stools for signs of internal issues, when we usually cover it up with toilet paper, another benefit of the bumgun!

‍

A final point is questioning how we pursue cleanliness, which is a lack of dirt, when without dirt we would literally have nothing, no garden, no flowers, shrubs, trees, animals and especially no food. I would like to promote being tidy, which is having things in order, which is  the arrangement of things according to a particular pattern.

‍

And it is up to us to find the best pattern.