Cologne

Should I Wear Cologne? (AKA The Cologne Conundrum)

“Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose”

There is an inescapable problem with cologne. It requires a leap of faith by the wearer that those in (hopefully) close proximity to him want to smell him. And not only is he assuming others want to smell him, he assumes that their preference of smell is similar to his, and that what smells good to him, will also smell good to them.

That violates the golden rule. Some would consider it, maybe, slightly arrogant.

Smell isn’t sight. You can look away from the person wearing the offensive hat or shoes. That’s not tough. It’s fleeting. Your olfactory sense is more like hearing. A smell can be like the loud couple at the table behind yours. Even if their conversation is funny or interesting, they’re still loud. Ignoring it takes sustained effort.

Counter Argument #1: But everything is scented these days! Deodorant, hair product, etc.

True. So, more is more? Deodorant and hair products have other primary uses (kill arm-pit bacteria, hold hair in place). Their main objective is...

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