Clean Smells Promote Moral Behavior, Study Suggests

[DainBramaged]

People are unconsciously fairer and more generous when they are in clean-smelling environments, according to a soon-to-be published study led by a Brigham Young University professor.

The research found a dramatic improvement in ethical behavior with just a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex.

Katie Liljenquist, assistant professor of organizational leadership at BYU's Marriott School of Management, is the lead author on the piece in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science. Co-authors are Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The researchers see implications for workplaces, retail stores and other organizations that have relied on traditional surveillance and security measures to enforce rules.

"Companies often employ heavy-handed interventions to regulate conduct, but they can be costly or oppressive," said Liljenquist, whose office smells quite average. "This is a very simple, unobtrusive way to promote ethical behavior."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025091148.htm

:wtf:


Maybe she should be cleaning up the House and Senate.........

And then maybe she found a ticket to financial paradise.......color me skeptical.......

[sui generis]

1. down with farts!

I suspect that applies to a whole lot more than clean smells. Probably could add clean, ordered environments to that. The problem for me is define "moral".

The buildings of the Vatican smell very clean, yet witches and heretics were burned in the name of "morality", and the church is giving money to fight against immoral same gender marriage; the tyranny of morality.

Are there negative side effects? I note that moral and ethical are used interchangeably here - maybe we should bomb Afghanistan with Lemon scented pledge.

[DainBramaged]

2. When I saw "BYU's Marriott School of Management" I spit out my toast

These are the same people who spent MILLIONS fighting Prop 8 and they are preaching morality based on orange cleaner???

[Realityhack]

13. "preaching morality based on orange cleaner"

Oh for fucks sake. Did you even read the article you linked to? If so where the hell did you come up with the concept of them 'preaching morality based on orange cleaner'???

Is there anything unbelievable about their findings?

People in a clean smelling environment are more likely to volunteer. You think that is preaching morality?

I don't agree with the Mormon church either, but get a grip.

[DainBramaged]

18. Don't curse at me pal.

Hack is a good word for you.

[Realityhack]

35. Do you stand by your statement...

that they are 'preaching morality based on orange cleaner'?

[Sinti]

21. +1 The problem for me is define "moral".

This is from Brigham Young U - the Mormons have been known to give "sinful" people shock treatments to their most sensitive parts to try to promote "morality". It's one of a long line of unholy things done in the name of morality. Sorry... personal pain point, I live in Idaho.

A clean fresh citrus-style scent is refreshing and will promote good productivity and wakefulness in your employees, so use it - along with a friendly environment and plenty of fresh hot coffee :)

[Fumesucker]

3. CS Lewis would disagree...

""The greatest evil is not done now in those sordid ’dens of rime’ that Dickens loved to paint. It is not even done in concentration camps and labor camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do no need to raise their voice." " CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

[sui generis]

4. wars are fought between old men by the children of other men

yep.

[JitterbugPerfume]

48. thanks for the reality check!

[Jim__]

5. The Summer 2009 issue of Daedalus had an article by ...

... Kwame Anthony Appiah - Experimental Moral Psychology - this is the cover of the issue - you can't read the article without a subscription. It said some similar things. Namely, if you are in a phone booth and find change in the coin return, you are much more likely to help someone outside the phone booth who drops papers. Similarly, if you are outside a bakery (pleasant smells) you are more likely to make change of a dollar for someone asking for it.

The article mostly concerned questions about ethics as philosophy or as experimental psychology. But it talks about experiments that reach similar conclusions to the study that you reference.

[DainBramaged]

6. I'm just skeptical because of the source, and the use of the word moral

to describe the findings. I find nothing moral about the Mormons. From baptising the dead of other religions to their treatment of Gays, I find them to be immoral.

[Wendio]

9. I agree.

I don't trust anything or anyone out of BYU.

[Jim__]

10. Moral is a broad term.

The heading to the article you reference says participants were fairer and more generous in a clean smelling environment. And the experiments that are discussed in the article are addressing morality in this way. That's also the way the Appiah article (IIRC) spoke of morality.

To me, morality is action that keeps our social groups cohesive. So, I believe the behaviors described do fall under the rubric of morality.

The study appears to be a psychological one. I don't believe we should discount documented scientific studies because we disagree with some of the beliefs or actions of the people who conducted the study.

[DainBramaged]

16. I do, sorry, I question everything they do, and who says this is scientific?

BYU?

[Jim__]

19. For one thing, it's being published in a peer reviewed journal ...

... Psychological Science.

And, while the lead author is at BYU, the other 2 authors are not:

Katie Liljenquist, assistant professor of organizational leadership at BYU's Marriott School of Management, is the lead author on the piece in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science. Co-authors are Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

[DainBramaged]

20. assistant professor of organizational leadership at BYU's Marriott School of Management

Have you even bothered to click on the webpage???

http://marriottschool.byu.edu/

Know what's there??? This they are PROMOTING the study on the front page


Cleanliness IS next to godliness

And one sentence in the report pissed me off more than the rest

Perhaps the findings could be applied at home, too, Liljenquist said with a smile. "Could be that getting our kids to clean up their rooms might help them clean up their acts, too."

So now they are being judgemental about the nation's children?? A Broad brush that they once again paint with.

[Jim__]

25. Please. The article that the web page connects to is the same as the article you referenced.

"Cleanliness is next to godliness" is an old aphorism. As for being judgemental about the nation's children, give it a break. Everyone jokes about getting kids to clean up their rooms.

[DainBramaged]

27. Hmmmm Mormon defenders...............

whatever..............

[Realityhack]

30. WTF?!?

How is that a defense of everything Mormon?

Get a grip.

[Rage for Order]

91. LOL!

Seriously?

:rofl:

:crazy:

[Realityhack]

29. Oh nooooooes...

The homepage of a college department is PROMOTING a study one of their staff is about to get published in a peer reviewed journal?
The end times are upon us!!!11!!!11!!!! No other college would ever do THAT!!!!!11!!!

I agree that the terminology used by BYU is very unscientific. That does not mean the study is. Those titles are typically written by a PR department at the school not the study authors. But we can definitely criticize their headline.

As for your quote "Could be that getting our kids to clean up their rooms might help them clean up their acts, too." how in the hell do you interpret that as "... judgemental about the nation's children?? A Broad brush that they once again paint with."
How is saying that 'having your kids clean their room might result in better behavior' a judgment much less a blanket one about the entire nation?

Your prejudice against Mormons is severely effecting your objectivity.

[conscious evolution]

38. A religous institution and business schools

are not really qualified to be doing medical studies,imo.

[DainBramaged]

40. And I agree, which is why I posted this in the first place

some here think that this is good science, without understanding the ramifications of what these people have done and will do in the future to minorities and those whom they disagree with. The Marriott motel chain which claims to be so pure and incorruptible, has for YEARS been one of the largest monetary beneficiaries of adult movies, porn, through pay per view, yet they preach morality, and many here defend their version of morality.

I say they are opportunists, nothing more.

[Realityhack]

44. Fail

"...some here think that this is good science, without understanding the ramifications of what these people have done and will do in the future to minorities and those whom they disagree with..."

Wither something is good science or not has absolutely nothing to do with wither the experimenters are racists, bigots, put babies on spikes, etc.

[SallyMander]

63. +1

I am a scientist (biologist) and it is unsettling how misunderstood the scientific process is (design, experiment, peer review, etc). This process should ideally have nothing to do with the background/religion/character of the experimenters. I am not commenting on the present study, since i haven't read it, but in general i wish my fellow Democrats were more understanding of this!

[conscious evolution]

66. I like the scientific method myself

Its the motivation of the scientists themselves I question.
I realize most scientists are honest and sane people who truly are looking out for the best interests of humanity at large.
Unfortunately,it only takes a handfull to fuck it up for the rest.

[Realityhack]

70. Wither or not something is good science also does not depend...

upon wither the people doing the science intend to use it for good or bad.

Atomic theory is atomic theory regardless of wither you are using it to treat cancer or blow up Hiroshima.

Certain smells promoting certain behaviors (as a trend) is just that wither you use it to reduce the number of people who shoplift or entice people to buy beyond their means.

[conscious evolution]

81. And the American Enterprise Institute

wrote Policy for a New American Century with the best of intentions.
NOT!
People spending lots of money for research generally spend it with the intention of getting results.Results,for the most part,as history has shown time and time again,that are not always for the best interests of society at large.

[Realityhack]

84. You have failed to refute my point in any way.

Paying for research with the expectation of results would imply that the results are tailored to the desired outcome of the paying party. For example drug research being paid for by a drug company with the expectation that the researcher find the drug safe.

There is nothing here to suspect any such relationship that might taint the study.

Do you have even ONE criticism of the study on ANY scientific grounds? Or do you just not like that a business school or Mormons were involved in researching something?

[conscious evolution]

88. I see

We are debating different things.
It may well be a good study.I have no problems with that.

It is the motivations behind studies that concern me.

As for the Mormons being involved,lets just say I would have concerns no matter which religion it is.I would still be skeptical whether it was Mormons,Babtists or any other faith.Including my own.

[Realityhack]

89. Ok. Fair enough.

On the topic you appear to be discussing... you are 'suspicious' of the motivations for doing the research. How is that diffrent from any other psychological research ever conducted? Why specifically this paper?

As for the religious aspect.
How is the Mormon church involved beyond 1 of 3 authors working for BYU and perhaps being Mormon?
Are you suggesting that if anyone involved is in any way religious we should be more suspect of the research than if they are all atheists? I can see the argument but it seems there would be a whole lot of things to look at first with much better correlation. So much so that your statement seems silly.

[Realityhack]

67. Spot on.

And I agree that we can not comment on the quality of the study without reading it.

[Realityhack]

43. Psychological not medical n/t

[conscious evolution]

54. Still not qualified

Psych is a medical field,btw.
The only reason a business or business school would be interested in a subject such as this one is to explore the inherent possibilities of exploitation for commercial activities.It is a clear cut case of using psychology as a manipulative tool to trick people for the self serving motives of an institution.

[DainBramaged]

55. My dad you to say, fools cannot change their coats

there are a few people in this thread whose coats have broken zippers...............

[Realityhack]

57. Ok a few issues there.

First off though, I agree that the likely intention is to ultimately use the research in commercial applications.

It appears that Adam Galinsky one of the co-authors has a PhD in psychology from Princeton. I would imagine that makes him qualified to run a psychological experiment.

I am not sure I would call behavioral psychology a medical discipline in terms of running an experiment. It does not require a medical degree like psychiatry. But I understand your point.

As for 'tricking' people for the 'self serving motives of an institution' I think you need to calm down and put this in perspective. We are talking about determining that people treat others more fairly and are more willing to volunteer in a clean smelling environment. That is hardly brainwashing them into taking out a line of credit a billion percent interest or some such. Even the mentioned applications like reducing shoplifting rates by introducing certain smells rather than more heavy handed tactics are hardly something I would argue are all about big bad corporations being all evil and anti-consumer.

[conscious evolution]

64. But its for your own good!!!

In todays world of Orwellian double-speak whenever someone introduces a new idea,or dusts off an old one,with tales of sweetness and light I have to wonder what the real motive is.

Yes,you may call me jaded.

[Realityhack]

65. I wouldn't say jaded I would say paranoid.

Seriously. Smell effecting behavior is nowhere near a new concept. Nor is it's use in business. This is far from the most profit centric application and it is a trend toward certain behavior not brainwashing.

And so what if a company does want to make their place of business smell nice in an effort to get you to buy more? It is already done and I don't see it as a big issue. Maybe we should mandate what department stores smell like? I mean really.

[conscious evolution]

73. Concern over

using hidden machinations that play on peoples subconscious mind without their knowledge is not paranoia.
Google and watch the BBC documentary Century of the Self sometime.It is a very informative series on a topic that supposedly free people should be aware of.

[surrealAmerican]

47. The other two authors are from respectable institutions:

"Co-authors are Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University."

It could well be that people cheat more in places that smell bad. I don't see a religious subtext to that.

[JitterbugPerfume]

49. well said

[DainBramaged]

53. Some here seem to think that these folks are pillars of honesty

taking what they do with a TON of salt and realizing we are dealing with the Marriott school of hypnotic marketing scams to improve the 'customer' experience makes this even more suspect.

Does this mean now they are going to find 'smells;' that act as truth serums too, so that during a job interview you spew your darkest secret?

I don't trust the Mormon Church and their agents as far as I can throw one of them.

[Realityhack]

58. Well that doesn't sound bigoted and paranoid at all.

:sarcasm:

[izquierdista]

7. Next time you see teabaggers

Attack them with Glade and Airwick!

[Wendio]

8. I can see it now...

The mormons will start carrying citrus scented windex door to door spritzing anyone that doesn't conform to their "code of morality".

[Realityhack]

11. I predict a high number of comments by people who did not read the story...

much less the study but want to talk about Mormons.

The findings in the article do not sound unbelievable. It actually mirrors other previous research. Obviously methodology needs to be examined and the experiment replicated etc. But I see no reason to dismiss it out of hand.

But hey. It is more fun if we babble incoherently about how Mormon's can't possibly be right about anything and we disagree with their moral choices so their research on reciprocity and willingness to volunteer MUST be wrong.

[NeedleCast]

14. I agree with you, I think it might be the wording though

The argument that a certain scent makes people more "moral" or "ethical" requires a definition of what morals or ethics are being considered.

[Realityhack]

15. Yeah but that is as much about the reporting as the study.

In the actual study specific behaviors are examined. Even reading the whole article tells you exactly what they found.
Just because some journalist decided to title their article poorly (like we have never seen that before in science reporting) is not IMO reason to question their findings.

I wish more people would read things before commenting on them. What does 'Mormon morality' have to do with wither someone is willing to volunteer for a charitable cause?

[DainBramaged]

17. I READ the story, and I question EVERYTHING the Mormon Church or their members are involved in

they have proved to be immoral, so using the word moral in a study of cleanliness is questionable.

I would assume you have no comment on their baptizing of the dead or their fight against Gay rights then?

[Realityhack]

22. Funny. AFAIK the study has not been published yet.

Which suggest that your statement that using the word 'Moral' in it is bullshit.
The term was used by Science Daily in their headline, and that may or may not have been used in the press release. But that kind of 'drift' occurs naturally in most science 'reporting' and is not the fault of the scientists doing the study.

From the article:
"The first experiment evaluated fairness."
"The second experiment evaluated whether clean scents would encourage charitable behavior."

You disagree with those being described as 'Moral'? Or maybe you made up your mind before reading that far?

And how in the fuck did you get to this:
"I would assume you have no comment on their baptizing of the dead or their fight against Gay rights then?"
?!?

When the hell did I suggest that? I have no desire to discuss my views on the behavior of the Mormon church or individual Mormons in this thread as it IMO completely off topic.

You are obviously very good at jumping to unsupported conclusions. It isn't a skill I would be proud of.

[DainBramaged]

26. Again, cursing at me get you nowhere...........

except ignored

[Realityhack]

33. Your decision not to answer the question of why you accused me of that is noted. n/t

[lonestarnot]

12. BYU, figures.

:eyes:

[Dreamer Tatum]

45. Did you read the study? Did you read the studies it cites? Did you look at the experimental design?

Did you request the data? Did you cross-validate the results?

I'm confident the answer to all those is a big, fat NO.

So...right back at you: :eyes:

[Realityhack]

51. +1 n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. I suggest it has nothing to do with 'morality' or 'ethics', but is entirely

due to individual sense of comfort.

A person having a bad day will ignore others. Those who are enveloped in the comforting scents of the bakery or flower garden will be more relaxed and more open to others

The danger I see in this is it being used (as it unofficially already is, and has been for centuries) as a marketing ploy. Steak houses vent the aroma of grilling to entice customers; bakeries always are comforting and inviting - now, department stores will vent in aromas to work in conjunction with their displays to make people receptive to buying.

I personally don't think it will do a thing to make people more 'ethical' - a shoplifter is not going to change his mind about boosting merchandise because of a few scents.

The phenomenon may be real - scents affect behavior - but they are drawing the wrong conclusions from it. Scent is a very powerful memory trigger. On fall day a few years ago I was walking along the street and something small and black skittered toward me on the ground and I just about jumped out of my skin because I KNEW is was a big, black scorpion - even though there are no scorpions within hundreds of miles. Then I realized that the scent of the air was exactly the same, the same mix of sand and pine and dryness, that I knew when I was a kid on the navy base in southern Spain, where I could have, and did, see large black scorpions.

Scents don't make a person 'ethical' - but work on subconscious memories of the person's past, and for most people that means the innocence of childhood. I'm sure that the smell of motor oil evokes very different feelings for someone raised around a garage and home mechanics as opposed to someone never exposed to that as a kid.

Bad science.

[Realityhack]

31. I wouldn't call it 'Bad Science' without reading the study.

I have no idea what their sample bias might be without seeing the full study for example.

'Clean' and 'Dirty' smells tend to be fairly universal within first world society. The vast majority of people will recognize the cent of windex as a cleaner. Just as the vast majority will recognize the smell of mold, mildew, or fecies as 'dirty'.

As for shoplifting while some shoplifters are out to shoplift right off the bat, others are more impulsive and opportunistic. The scent in a store certainly will not stop shoplifting, but I think you would need some evidence to back you up if you are going to say it would have absolutely NO effect on the rate.
It is also a theoretical application not a direct conclusion of the study so I don't think jumping on that statement as making the study bad is fair.

[RaleighNCDUer]

92. Say, rather, bad conclusion from possibly good science.

I say there is nothing inherent in any scent that could affect morality. Morality is a purely subjective concept.

That scents could trigger unconscious memories of childhood and innocence is not outside the realm of possibility, but in that case call it what it is, don't attribute the result to something as indefinable as morality.

Here's a question - if something triggers an automatic subconscious response, and the response has positive effects, is that morality?

Every definition of 'morality' I know hinges on conscious action and choice. That's why the insane are not criminally prosecuted for crimes (ideally)- because they are unable to choose their course of action, and cannot make moral decisions.

[handmade34]

36. your response is thoughtful

and I agree that as a commercial marketing tool to exploit people, this study is not good. I don't think it is bad science. You are right on about comforting smells making us more receptive to others and positive behaviors. It seems the problem most people have with this article/study and the conversation is the lack of interpretation of 'Moral'. Think of the common phrases "That stinks" when we react to something unfair. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" "I smell a rat"

We often react to a behavior we disapprove of by using the terminology of smell and I don't think it is a coincidence.

[conscious evolution]

39. Sweeping compound

Whenever I smell that stuff I am instantly transported back to walking into school for the first time in first grade. The janitor was sweeping the hallway that morning.

[JVS]

24. Cool. This makes farting a subversive act.

[Raster]

28. !

[handmade34]

32. let us consider...

this is not new and studies have been conducted and papers written. It is real for me.

"The sense of smell
To smell you have to take something in. You are not dealing with a boundary with smell. With the sense of touch you become conscious of a part of yourself, but this is opposite to the sense of smell. With smell you do not run into something but have a feeling of being overpowered, overwhelmed. When there is an odour, you cannot avoid it. With breathing comes smell; you are forced to smell.

People become more decent human beings through the sense of smell. Consider the matter of hygiene – of cleanliness. ‘That’s nice’ or ‘that’s not nice’ comes to us through the sense of smell. “The Great Stink”, as it was called in London in 1858, occurred when the stench of human waste being flushed into the river Thames was so great in Westminster where Parliament sat, that it considered relocating outside of the city of London. They draped sheets soaked in chloride of lime on the windows of the House of Commons to sweeten the air. In the end the politicians were forced to adopt a new law of parliament to create London’s sewer system, which it had been postponing for many years. The new sewers brought untold benefits to urban living – clean streets, clean drinking water, clean houses. Epidemics, such as waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid, came to an end. The greatest advance in human health and living came about through the sense of smell."

Instinct specifically utilizes smell.

http://www.newphysis.com/smelloflife.html

[Realityhack]

34. No no. You don't understand at all... Facts are not welcome here...

Someone at BYU was involved. We must bash them! stupid Mormons! How dare they do research.

Forget the fact that related studies have already been done and the general idea is already established. Forget the peer reviewed journal. Forget the other co-authors.
The issue here is that we have a chance to babble incoherently about MORMONS!!!

Thanks for the link BTW.

[handmade34]

37. I find the studies very interesting

and personally am so sensitive to nostalgia and smells. Especially this time of year with the smells of autumn; leaves, wood fires, pumpkins, etc.

[snagglepuss]

41. I so agree about the particularly powerful effect of autumnal smells.

They trigger the most vivid memories. I'll be walking let's say on wet fallen leaves when a particular moment in my childhood comes flooding back. This happens at other times of the year but never so frequently as in autumn.

[Realityhack]

42. It is definately a very interesting area of study.

Both with respect to specific smells triggering particular memories or moods and this more general 'clean' smells effecting behaviors.

We definitely tend to underestimate the importance of smell in our environment.

[SoCalDem]

46. pride?

If people are pissing in the hallway, others might see that it's no biggie if they do it too..but if everything is pristine, maybe they would not want to be "the one" who messes it up..

and when people get their first home, they tend to have that pride of "ownership", that makes them want to keep it nice..but if they live in a roach-infested slum apartment, they may not have the drive to do a whole lot, since everything around them is awful.

[Heidi]

50. Pardon me while I dab a little Sweet Honesty behind my ears. (nt)

[otohara]

52. Glade Plug-ins & Other Chemical Fragrance

products are toxic and dangerous to all living beings.

[Forkboy]

56. My bathroom could cause a killing spree.

[DainBramaged]

60. I choked on my scallion pancake, thanks

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Doin more updates, may have an extra 9500GT for ya, no charge of course. Upgrading to a 4650 in one of my systems. I'll keep ya posted......

[Forkboy]

61. You'd have to let me pay you for it or I won't take it.

;)

[DainBramaged]

62. A $1 is sufficient!

[Forkboy]

68. Too low...let me know when and I'll donate to DU for you or someone of your choosing.

:)

[DainBramaged]

69. THAT will be an excellent idea!!!!

When I'm ready I'll PM you for your address......

:hug:

[Forkboy]

79. Yeah, I'll just use my mother's credit card!

:hide:

Let me know, and thanks a lot! :toast:






Mom, if you reading this I'm just kidding about your credit card.

I'll use Donnie's.

:hide:

[Octafish]

59. Remember when Hugo Chavez smelled ''sulfur" at the UN?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/09/20/chavez.un/index.html



"Hey, Pickles! He said, 'Devil!' Heh heh heh."

[Realityhack]

71. Way Off Topic. n/t

[Octafish]

74. How so? The OP is about smells.

Bush was all about smells. In fact, he's made this country stink for generations to come.

[Realityhack]

75. WOW.

I mean WOW. Guess anything smell related (including things that 'stink') is on topic for this thread.
I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that anything smell related was on topic but it is a completely nutty idea.

[Octafish]

83. Smells and cleanliness are the OP's subjects.

There's nobody dirtier than George W Bush and his lying America into two illegal, immoral and unnecessary wars.

What's Off-Topic is you trying to get me and those who don't agree with you to shut up.

[Realityhack]

86. Never mind. I just saw who I was talking to. n/t

[Octafish]

90. Thanks for reminding me! Say 'Hi!' to Pinch!

Or whatever the heck name Bil goes under nowadays.

[DainBramaged]

78. This thread got stunk up without passing the smell test......

Defenders of the faithless..........or, why would the Marriott Corporation be so interested in Smell-o-vision?

[Octafish]

80. Nothing brings back a memory like a smell.

Gee, DainBramaged. Great photo!
That machine looks like something out of Langley's basement (or is that off-topic, and thus, taboo?).

Michael Todd, Jr. -- wasn't his father married to Liza Minelli or Elizabeth Taylor?
The guy must have, er, smelled the next big thing.

[DainBramaged]

87. I remember Smell-O-Vision in the 50's

I was young, but I remember it being used during Saturday matinees. Especially when the 'refreshment' smells waifed through the theater.....

[Contrary1]

72. That must explain why I lost my virginity so much later than my friends. n/t

[Realityhack]

76. Huh?

What are you talking about?

[Contrary1]

82. Just joking, that's all....

*** On Edit: OMG, I just realized what my comment must have sounded like. :blush:

What I meant was that I used an expensive brand of perfume when I was younger, and usually my dates would comment about it.

[Realityhack]

85. Ahhhh....

sorry for any confusion. There has been some seriously silly stuff going on regarding the BYU tie to the study in this thread.

Your joke is actually funny now that I understand it.

[supernova]

77. Cleanliness is next to Godliness

[marmar]

93. No wonder Tom DeLay is such a cretin.....

Does anyone doubt that this man has bad BO?

[Uncle Joe]

94. Well, that explains this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x296233