The Trustworthiness of Beards

[David Parker]

The Trustworthiness of Beards (http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Trustworthiness-of-Beards/22581/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)

"A recent study in the Journal of Marketing Communications found that men with beards were deemed more credible than those who were clean-shaven."

"Participants thought the men with beards had greater expertise and were significantly more trustworthy..."

Well, there you go! Yet another reason for you men to stop scraping your face with sharp blades.... :smilies0262:

[Jeremy D. Scott]

I have a beard about two weeks out of five. Right now I do. I was at the playground yesterday with my three oldest. Another little girl who was there as well (perhaps about 4 years old) looked at her mom, pointed at me, and said, "Papa!"

That was a first for me. :rolleyes:

[Hans Deventer]

Well, there you go! Yet another reason for you men to stop scraping your face with sharp blades.... :smilies0262:

You need to talk to Hannie first. As long as she says no................

[Karen Troxler]

I personally am very partial to beards. Dave has had one almost the entire 31 years that we've been together. It would be a shock to me now if he didn't have it! I have learned one thing, however, over the years. I've learned to not compliment men in the church who attempt to grow one until I know how their wives feel about them. :)

[Wilson Deaton]

I have a beard about two weeks out of five. Right now I do. I was at the playground yesterday with my three oldest. Another little girl who was there as well (perhaps about 4 years old) looked at her mom, pointed at me, and said, "Papa!"

Years ago, (when my beard was longer), I had a class with Dr. George Lyons. It was a small class and he invited us to his home for a special session. I walked in the door and his little one pointed at me and said, "Jesus!"

Wilson

[Jeremy D. Scott]

Years ago, (when my beard was longer), I had a class with Dr. George Lyons. It was a small class and he invited us to his home for a special session. I walked in the door and his little one pointed at me and said, "Jesus!"

Wilson

Maybe that was his daughter, Kara. We went to seminary together and now she's working on a Ph.D. in New Testament at Princeton.

[Ryan Scott]

The Trustworthiness of Beards (http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Trustworthiness-of-Beards/22581/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)

"A recent study in the Journal of Marketing Communications found that men with beards were deemed more credible than those who were clean-shaven."

"Participants thought the men with beards had greater expertise and were significantly more trustworthy..."


I suspect this may have more to do with age. I grew a ragged beard on summer in college and got more jokes about looking like a sex offender than I did about being a wise man. Perhaps we trust beards on people who look like they should have them.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

Now this is a meaningful study with far reaching implications. And, you can trust me when I say this.

[Rich Schmidt]

I wonder if the study included a variety of beard types or only full beards. The linked article says, "The study looked only at neat, medium-length beards. You can't just go all ZZ Top and expect people to trust you."

I ask for reasons that I think are obvious, looking at my profile picture/avatar...

[Shea Zellweger]

Did we really need a study? I'm still pretty sure that having a son and a beard are what got me this pastoral job, not my credentials :D

[Mike Schutz]

A year ago I shaved off my beard and mustache, due to a tragic accident with my trimmer. ("Oh the humanity!") When my children arrived home for Thanksgiving, they immediately chastised me, and proclaimed that I was not allowed to make such life-changing decisions without their permission. I had forgotten that they had never seen me without them.

[Shea Zellweger]

A year ago I shaved off my beard and mustache, due to a tragic accident with my trimmer. ("Oh the humanity!") When my children arrived home for Thanksgiving, they immediately chastised me, and proclaimed that I was not allowed to make such life-changing decisions without their permission. I had forgotten that they had never seen me without them.

My dad used to go completely beardless about once per year (he still might). One day during my Senior year I came home to find him with a Fu Manchu- not the kind you see on cool Asian Karate masters, but the kind that is invariably worn by rednecks with cans of skoal and bud light. I made it very clear to him that it would be gone by graduation (he was presenting the diplomas).

[David Parker]

A couple of weeks ago I posted an old wedding picture of me and my bride on Facebook. Was several years before I grew the beard. Received many positive comments and affirmations from many of my 'friends'.

Shea was quick to point out that having seen my clean shaven face, it was a good choice to grow the beard. I never got a chance to say "thank you Shea".... :smilies1390:

[Shea Zellweger]

A couple of weeks ago I posted an old wedding picture of me and my bride on Facebook. Was several years before I grew the beard. Received many positive comments and affirmations from many of my 'friends'.

Shea was quick to point out that having seen my clean shaven face, it was a good choice to grow the beard. I never got a change to say "thank you Shea".... :smilies1390:

What can I say? I think all men should have as much hair as their wives and employers will allow.

[Bob Sugden]

I have worn a beard for the past 12 years or so. Recently, I shaved it off. The following Sunday following the service, I greeted a woman who was visiting my church for the first time. Her friend (a regular member of our church) introduced me by reminding her friend that I was the pastor who had recently performed the wedding ceremony for her son. The visitor looked at me again and remarked, "Your beard was very becoming. You should grow it back."

[James Diggs]

The Trustworthiness of Beards (http://chronicle.com/blogPost/The-Trustworthiness-of-Beards/22581/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en)

So far I have trusted my beard to always be there, none of my facial hair has ever been know to fall out. I also can count on shaving around my beard and trimming it daily. I trust that my beard will occasionally encourage people to compare me to an Amish dude or Abraham Lincoln.

Yup, my beard is pretty trustworthy.

[Steven Martinez]

A couple of weeks ago I posted an old wedding picture of me and my bride on Facebook. Was several years before I grew the beard. Received many positive comments and affirmations from many of my 'friends'.

Shea was quick to point out that having seen my clean shaven face, it was a good choice to grow the beard. I never got a chance to say "thank you Shea".... :smilies1390:

Actually it was my comment. 10th one down here (http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=30712081&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=1033376042&id=1033376042)

[Steven Martinez]

What can I say? I think all men should have as much hair as their wives and employers will allow.

You didn't say it to begin with liar. It was me and you know it.:smilies0161:

[Shea Zellweger]

You didn't say it to begin with liar. It was me and you know it.:smilies0161:

Ah, but Dave and I converse via chat, how do you know I didn't mention something?

Okay, so it sounded like something I would say and I didn't bother double checking.

[Steven Martinez]

Ah, but Dave and I converse via chat, how do you know I didn't mention something?

Okay, so it sounded like something I would say and I didn't bother double checking.

I understand. In your attempt to be just like me you were over zealous. It is understandable, inevitable and forgivable.

[Timothy Parker]

Love this thread... esp as I've been carefully growing my beard out a bit of late. My wife is, well... tolerant... but our 11-yr old daughter is ecstatic. She has always loved the beard and whenever I trimmed it (just nice and short, never clean-shaven), she always responded with a look of disappointment tinged with betrayal.

On a different note, there's another scientific aspect to the "The Glorious Forest Of Fauna" that is the beard: http://scienceblogs.com/oscillator/2010/03/the_beard-ome.php

[David Parker]

Actually it was my comment. 10th one down here (http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=30712081&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=1033376042&id=1033376042)

Argh! I see I falsely attributed the slight. All this time I have been wasting negative energy toward Shea when it should have been you! :smilies1447:

[Steven Martinez]

Argh! I see I falsely attributed the slight. All this time I have been wasting negative energy toward Shea when it should have been you! :smilies1447:

Where it belongs!:smilies0262:

[David Parker]

For those of you on Facebook, my brother Timothy (a bearded Episcopalian) invited me to join the group: Anglican Beard Enthusiasts (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30709354&id=1033376042#!/group.php?gid=2204597519&ref=mf). The pictures are great!

From the description:

"This group is dedicated to the appreciation, examination, evaluation, and propagation of tremendous facial hair on Anglicans, particularly clergy."

[Susan Unger]

For those of you on Facebook, my brother Timothy (a bearded Episcopalian) invited me to join the group: Anglican Beard Enthusiasts (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30709354&id=1033376042#!/group.php?gid=2204597519&ref=mf). The pictures are great!

From the description:

"This group is dedicated to the appreciation, examination, evaluation, and propagation of tremendous facial hair on Anglicans, particularly clergy."Navel length beard? Oh my..... Some of those pictures are quite...eye catching shall we say.

[David Parker]

Apparently, here is the definitive chart:

The Trustworthiness of Beards Chart (http://i.imgur.com/PHmF5.jpg)