Beard Peacocking

Beardsmen are a lot of things. Some are entrepreneurs, others are creatives. Some are businessmen, and some are adrenaline junkies. But peacocks? According to a new article from the Ramapo Times, some folks are tying to add that one to the list.

In the article, it is stated that “Writer Kate Hakala of Mic.com discusses the study of male peacocks in relation to the dating habits of men, citing research conducted by scholars from the University of Western Australia. These researchers concluded that, ‘Male primates who live in larger, multi-level societies use flamboyant and conspicuous markers to signal identity, rank, dominance or attractiveness to females.'”

Blah blah blah, what does this have to do with my beard?

“This study, among others, supports the idea that humans are descendants of apes. In addition, the human male exhibits similar behaviors to that of apes in relation to this topic. It can be assumed that a man with a beard tends to draw a woman’s eye almost immediately, regardless of whether or not the certain woman finds him attractive because of the striking difference between themselves and their hairless counterparts.”

Wait so I’m an ape now? Or am I still a peacock? Can I be a lion next?

The findings do make sense to a degree – on some unconscious level, beards surely affect the way folks perceive a potential mate or partner, and it may also make us dudes feel a little cooler and more confident. But this is where we as human beings tend to differ from our animal counterparts.

There is more to being a beardsman than using facial hair to assert your status. While there is an overt abundance of bravado and machismo attached to some beard supporters and organizations, the real overall goal of the bearded community is to embrace the idea that a beard can be everything from professional to fun, a style accessory to a part of your personality.

So yeah, maybe sometimes we are peacocks. And maybe sometimes we are apes. But we’re also beardsmen who take pride in our fuzzy faces and go to great lengths to care for them. When’s the last time you saw a peacock use beard oil?