The sense of smell is one of the most evocative and emotionally connected senses we have. There is more distinct discernibility, and and connection to memory associated with smell than any of the body’s other senses, and it can also be one of the most intense.
For example, a cool breeze carrying with it the warm scent of fresh baked bread can immediately transport you to the house of a long dead, and well loved relative from decades previous…
And the rancid, hot stench of a three week gone dead body, can ignite not only your flight instinct, but also the evacuation of your stomach cavity, the secretion of tears, and the loss of general motor control over your limbs.
What I’m saying is smell is powerful.
It’s also, for that same reason, extremely personal and varied. What smells good to some, can be a dumpster left out in the rain, to others.
When it comes to animal interaction, smell is extremely important. Dogs sniff each other’s assholes. Horses remember the breath of their owner for their entire lives, and bears can smell fertile mates from miles away. Even in humans, phenomenal compatibility is a HUGE measure of whether two people should be together, and it can be argued, the ENTIRE point of kissing is to taste (and more importantly SMELL) the chemicals and characteristics of a potential mate.
But why, then… WHY OH WHY OH WHY do we love our own smell so damn much?
And before dismiss me by saying, “because it’s been with us all our lives,” I would argue, that NO, that’s a justification for why a person might not know what they smell like, or the degree to which they may or may not stink.
That does not explain why we like (and even love to the point of ownership) our most foul bodily aromas.
On SNL, Molly Shannon played a character that, when nervous, would jam her hands in her armpits and then quickly pull them out and sniff them for comfort. It seems ridiculous, but if you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know that even at your most funky, it doesn’t seem to bother you.
And not for nothing, but if you’re someone that can appreciate a good fart, you’ll know that if your best friend cracks off a minor demon in a confined space, it could repulse you to the point of violent projectile vomiting, while for him, it can smell fine on the verge of good even.
So why? There’s not biological need for us to be attracted to our own scent, right? Does it have to do with our genetic line? Like, we love our scent because it’s also the scent of our parents and lineage? And if so, why then does your dad’s farts smell so damn heinous to you?
I need some answers here. Tell me what you think, and if you know what I’m talking about.
Or, do you gag every time you smell your own shit?