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| Minimalism & De-cluttering Helps | Gain Better Mental Health |
This discussion is a real-life account of trying, adapting, and keeping true to Morning Walks. No matter how humble this very familiar fitness activity seems, there is a lot to it that goes unnoticed. Hopefully, this discussion will help you understand why daily morning walks can be highly therapeutic for your physical & psychological health and help you become a better believer…
Around the first week of November 2017, I had settled into a reasonably regular schedule of morning walks. The momentum was good, the pace quick, and the steps curious to test my walking technique across different types of grounds/surfaces. These bouts of brisk walking had arisen earlier,r t, but sank abruptly. The reason was that I used to get bo, red, or being surrounded by other morning walkers seemed too suffocating. However, moving to Dwarka has been a gift in this regard. The place we live is a blend of extreme housing development and large patches of wide, empty roads that are just about perfect for walking. Yes, I don't prefer walking in massive parks, and garden trails seem too restrictive. The biggest plus was that I started walking when the winter season hadn’t even set in. This meant the luxury of wearing minimum and getting the time to ensure that my walking form was good – this aspect has been a bit of a journey for me – walking methods are comprehensively covered in health & living articles, blogged about in lifestyle or exercise-related online magazines but lack a certain degree of clarity – what type of walking is a bit exciting and highly effective?
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| One Exercise for Most Core Gains - Fast, Slow, Sides Variations |
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Humanity did not always pretend that flatulence was a scandal. In ancient Greece, bodily noises were considered signs of vitality; philosophers wrote casually about the body’s expulsions as part of life’s natural functioning. The Roman physician Galen treated digestive gas as an expected product of human physiology rather than a moral flaw. Even the Old Testament mentions flatulence with pragmatic indifference, without attaching stigma. Shame was not the default — it was a cultural invention. The medieval period transformed the body into a moral landscape. Christian monasticism placed heavy emphasis on bodily discipline, self-control, and suppression of earthly urges. Scholars studying medieval bodily regulation note how monasteries structured silence as virtue; noises from the body became intrusions from the lower self, the sinful self. Flatulence transitioned from a natural occurrence to a spiritual weakness. The idea that the body must be subdued, contained, and purified seeped into social norms outside monastic life.
By the Victorian era, fart-shaming had matured into full-blown etiquette. Victorian manuals cautioned against “disruptive bodily functions” as assaults on public decorum. Meanwhile, British colonial power exported these norms globally, shaping bodily etiquette from India to Africa. What had once been a physiological inevitability now carried moral weight. A silent society was a civilized society — or so they insisted.
Yet outside the West, cultural responses varied. Many Indigenous communities treated flatulence with humor rather than shame, seeing laughter as a release valve for the social body. In some Pacific Island cultures, shared bodily humor strengthened interpersonal bonds. Anthropology reminds us: shame is not universal. But globalization ensured that Western bodily norms became the dominant export, and modern flatulence anxiety is, in many ways, a Victorian ghost that survived longer than the empire that birthed it.
Disgust is one of humanity’s oldest emotional warning systems — a survival mechanism designed to keep us away from pathogens long before microscopes could explain why. Psychologist Paul Rozin’s research on core disgust shows that humans are hardwired to avoid anything associated with contamination: rot, feces, spoiled food, bodily fluids, and airborne signals that imply proximity to them.
Flatulence exists in this psychological twilight zone. It does not directly harm, but it represents something potentially harmful. The nose processes it as a micro-alert: “There may be decay nearby.” The mind translates that into social discomfort: “Someone here has crossed an invisible boundary.” The gas itself is harmless; the meaning we attach to it is not.
But disgust alone doesn’t explain fart-shaming. What elevates it to humiliation is metadisgust — the fear of being perceived as disgusting. Humans dread becoming contaminated in someone else’s mental map. The shame is deeply social: being associated with something impure threatens group belonging, a primal need embedded in our evolutionary psychology. Once upon a time, being expelled from the group meant death. Today it means someone side-eyes you on a bus.
What’s striking is that disgust is asymmetrical. We tolerate our own body’s odors far more than those of others. Neurological studies show the brain’s reactions to self-generated smells are muted; identity modulates disgust. But the moment someone else contributes to the air, the amygdala lights up like a ceremonial bonfire. This asymmetry reveals an uncomfortable truth: fart-shaming is not really about gas. It is about the fragile architecture of social identity, where the body becomes a liability we must manage meticulously to remain acceptable.
The global spread of fart-shaming is not a natural evolution of etiquette; it is a result of cultural power. During colonization, European norms of bodily control were positioned as superior — cleaner, more rational, more refined — and Indigenous norms were dismissed as primitive. This hierarchy transformed the body into a political symbol. In colonial India, British authorities viewed local bodily practices — burping, spitting, passing gas without theatrics — as signs of uncivilized behavior. Victorian morality seeped into the Indian middle class through schooling, missionary education, and administrative hierarchies. Suddenly, the body that had always been allowed its noises was expected to behave like a machine with muted exhaust.
Similar patterns occurred in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Local humor around bodily functions was replaced by imported prudishness. An entire planet gradually internalized the idea that silence equals civilization. Even today, corporate spaces across continents maintain Western behavioral codes: airtight bodily discipline, tacit shame, and the expectation that one must conceal natural functions at all costs. Anthropologists argue that this forced bodily discipline created psychological distance between human beings and their own physiology. The colonized body became something to control rather than inhabit. Fart-shaming is one of its many lasting legacies — a small but persistent reminder of how power rewrites intimacy.
Fart-shaming is not gender-neutral. Women, across most cultures, face significantly harsher policing of bodily sounds than men. Sociologists note that femininity has historically been associated with cleanliness, delicacy, and restraint — ideals designed for male comfort more than female autonomy. The female body is expected to be an immaculate, scentless, quiet vessel, even though women have the same digestive systems as men and produce the same volume of gas.
Eroticized femininity contradicts biological reality, leaving women in a double bind: to be desirable, they must disavow their own intestines. The pressure is so strong that studies show women are more likely to suppress flatulence in shared spaces, even at the cost of physical pain. Meanwhile, boys grow up normalizing bodily humor, encouraged to treat gas as comedy rather than shame.
Men, however, are not exempt from the politics of noise. Masculinity produces its own paradox: men may joke about farting, but they are shamed when it happens in professional settings where the masculine ideal shifts from boisterous to controlled. The corporate male body must be sealed, efficient, sanitized — no gurgles permitted. Power modifies the rules. A powerful man may get away with a biological slip; a junior employee will not. Bodily noise becomes a class signal: those who must remain silent to keep their jobs cannot afford to be human out loud.
Flatulence, strangely enough, maps social inequality better than many political theories!
Modern environments — corporate offices, elevators, co-working spaces, open-plan designs — have turned the body into a performance object. Noise travels farther, privacy is thinner, and the expectation of constant composure is stricter than ever. When our ancestors lived outdoors or in acoustically chaotic settlements, flatulence had far more room to dissipate unnoticed. The modern world, however, traps sound. Air-conditioned conference rooms, metal train compartments, silent hospital waiting rooms — all make the body’s minor rebellions acoustically unforgiving. Today’s social spaces are built for efficiency, not humanity.
Then there’s digital surveillance. Social media thrives on humiliation. A small bodily accident can be filmed, uploaded, shared — a nightmare that inflates shame far beyond its biological relevance. The ancient fear of group exclusion now exists on a global scale. The cost of being the one who “did it” has never been higher.
Urban stress exacerbates digestion. Gastrointestinal researchers note that anxiety slows gut motility, producing more gas and less predictability. The very fear of fart-shaming increases the likelihood of an incident. The body rebels precisely when one needs it to behave. This cycle — anxiety → gas → suppression → more anxiety — is modernity’s gift. Every quiet office becomes a pressure cooker. Every meeting is a Russian roulette of intestinal diplomacy.
Humanity has never been more mechanized on the outside and more turbulent on the inside.
Despite all the shame, flatulence remains one of the oldest forms of humor. Anthropologists studying tribal rituals, medieval festivals, and contemporary comedy agree on one thing: fart humor is universal, not because it is childish, but because it provides social relief.
Laughter at bodily sounds is not mockery; it is communal acknowledgment of shared biology. It resets the emotional climate. A well-timed laugh abolishes hierarchy, dissolving stiffness between people. The fart joke is a great equalizer — politicians, saints, professors, CEOs, soldiers, monks, and toddlers all emit gas. The humor reminds us that no one escapes the digestive contract of being human.
Some cultures elevate flatulence humor to a ritual. Certain Indigenous groups in North America used gas humor in storytelling as a teaching tool. In parts of Melanesia, exaggerated bodily humor appears in ceremonies to diffuse tension. Even in medieval Europe, fart jokes entered court entertainment — evidence that even royalty secretly granted the body a moment of rebellion.
Humor protects the psyche from shame by converting panic into recognition. When people laugh, the body is absolved. Strangely, humor is the most sophisticated response to flatulence: it is empathy disguised as mischief.
But contemporary society often suppresses bodily humor, replacing it with restraint and silent judgment. This makes fart-shaming more potent — humor was always the pressure valve, and modern adults have been taught to keep it shut.
When the intestinal orchestra begins its warm-up, humans employ a wide repertoire of survival techniques. Some are practical; others are pure folklore disguised as strategy. Across interviews, ethnographic notes, and observational studies, a taxonomy emerges.
There’s The Strategic Exit — pretending to take a call, refill a water bottle, or suddenly needing to check something “urgent” at your desk. People learned this maneuver instinctively long before anyone wrote etiquette manuals.
Then comes The Acoustic Masking Technique, where one waits for a loud external noise — a bus rumbling past, someone dropping a book — and releases micro-doses of gas in sync with ambient sounds. This is the jazz improvisation of bodily management: difficult, high-risk, occasionally brilliant.
There is the Postural Shift, a subtle weight redistribution intended to create silence by adjusting pressure on the pelvic floor. Sometimes it works; sometimes it creates a sound reminiscent of a balloon losing hope.
There’s also Cultural Camouflage — in households where cooking smells, festival firecrackers, or crowded gatherings create sensory overload, one blends into the atmosphere. Anthropologists recognize this as environmental opportunism.
But the most human ritual is The Internal Treaty: negotiating with one’s own gut. “Not now, please. I beg you.” It is the closest most adults come to prayer during office hours.
These strategies are often absurd, but they represent the ingenuity of a species desperate to uphold dignity while its intestines conduct their own foreign policy.
Fart-shaming thrives because it touches a primal nerve: the fear of being fully visible. Humans curate their identities carefully — through clothing, speech, posture, grooming, and social performance. But flatulence is the body’s reminder that identity is porous. The self leaks.
This leakage — literal and metaphorical — threatens the illusion of control. Embarrassment psychologists argue that shame is the emotional response to an unexpected collapse in self-presentation. Farts collapse the boundary between the cultivated self and the biological self. They reveal that beneath the polished persona is a digestive tube like everyone else’s.
For many, this exposure feels like intimacy before consent. It is being known too quickly, too truthfully. Flatulence forces vulnerability, which is why the shame cuts deeper than the act deserves.
But interestingly, intimate relationships often use bodily functions as milestones of trust. Couples who can laugh about gas tend to report higher relational satisfaction. Friendship deepens when people can be biologically honest around one another. Children bond through shared humor about bodily sounds long before they develop mature emotional language.
This suggests that fart-shaming is not inevitable. It is a cultural imposition, not a psychological necessity. The body doesn’t see shame in gas; society teaches us to.
Humans fear flatulence not because of the noise or smell, but because it reveals a truth we spend our lives avoiding: we are more animal than we admit.
Somewhere between biology and etiquette, between instinct and embarrassment, the sound of gas escaping a human body becomes a quiet story about culture, power, intimacy, and vulnerability. Flatulence is not an offense; it is a reminder that the boundaries of selfhood are fragile and endlessly negotiated. Every bubble rising through the gut is an echo of the ancient tension between the disciplined body society demands and the untamed body evolution left us with. If there is an art to escaping fart-shaming, it lies not in tightening every muscle but in loosening the grip on dignity just enough to acknowledge that being human is messy, noisy, and occasionally hilarious — and that maybe the shame was never biologically ours to carry.
References (20 sources)
Self-Kindness: Instead of being harshly self-critical, self-kindness involves being gentle and understanding with oneself. It means recognizing that it's okay to make mistakes and that imperfection is a part of the human experience.
Common Humanity: This aspect emphasizes the connection between oneself and others. It involves acknowledging that suffering and personal inadequacy are part of the shared human condition, rather than feeling isolated and alienated by one's imperfections.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness entails being aware of the present moment in a balanced manner. It involves neither ignoring one's pain nor being overly immersed in it, but rather observing it with a sense of clarity and balance.
Practicing self-compassion is crucial for emotional resilience. It allows individuals to navigate through life's challenges without being overwhelmed by negative emotions. By treating oneself with kindness during difficult times, one can maintain emotional equilibrium and recover more swiftly from setbacks.
Self-compassion has been linked to numerous mental health benefits, including reduced levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Individuals who practice self-compassion tend to have higher levels of emotional intelligence, which helps them manage their emotions more effectively and maintain a positive outlook on life.
Enhanced Self-Acceptance
One of the most significant benefits of self-compassion is enhanced self-acceptance. Accepting oneself means recognizing and embracing all aspects of oneself, including one's physical appearance. This acceptance is not about resignation but about acknowledging reality and treating oneself with kindness despite perceived flaws.
Self-compassion plays a pivotal role in body acceptance. In a society that often promotes unrealistic body standards, many individuals struggle with body image issues. By cultivating self-compassion, individuals can develop a healthier and more accepting relationship with their bodies.
Self-compassion encourages individuals to challenge unrealistic body standards and to understand that beauty and worth are not determined by physical appearance. This shift in perspective is crucial for developing a positive body image and self-acceptance.
Promoting Physical and Mental Well-being
Accepting one's body is not only important for mental well-being but also for physical health. Individuals who accept their bodies are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, such as balanced eating and regular physical activity, rather than resorting to extreme diets or harmful practices.
Mindful Self-Reflection: Engaging in mindful self-reflection can help individuals become more aware of their thoughts and feelings about their bodies. This practice involves observing one's thoughts without judgment and recognizing negative patterns that may hinder self-acceptance.
Positive Affirmations: Using positive affirmations can reinforce self-compassion and body acceptance. Affirmations such as "I am worthy of love and respect" and "My body is strong and capable" can help counteract negative self-talk and foster a positive self-image.
Seeking Support: Building a support network of friends, family, or a therapist can provide the encouragement and validation needed to maintain self-compassion and body acceptance. Sharing experiences and receiving feedback can reinforce positive changes and provide additional perspectives.
Self-compassion is an invaluable tool for fostering emotional resilience, improving mental health, and enhancing self-acceptance. By integrating self-compassion into our lives, we can challenge unrealistic body standards and cultivate a healthier, more accepting relationship with our bodies. Accepting our bodies as they are allows us to live more fully and authentically, free from the constraints of societal pressures.
You might want to know:
Dr. Kristin Neff did pioneering work in helping us understand self-compassion. She is widely recognized as one of the leading researchers in this field and has developed a comprehensive framework for understanding and practicing self-compassion. Her work includes defining the three main components of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. Dr. Neff's research has significantly contributed to the field of psychology, highlighting the importance of self-compassion for emotional resilience and mental well-being. The book "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself" by Dr. Kristin Neff is widely regarded as one of the best resources for understanding self-compassion. In this book, Dr. Neff explains the concept of self-compassion, its benefits, and practical strategies for cultivating it in everyday life. The book combines scientific research with personal anecdotes and exercises, making it a comprehensive and accessible guide for anyone looking to improve their self-compassion...
Compassion and self-compassion share a common foundation in recognizing suffering and responding with kindness, but they are directed toward different recipients. Compassion involves recognizing the suffering of others and feeling motivated to alleviate it. It is an outward-focused emotion that drives us to extend care, empathy, and understanding toward others in distress. Compassion encourages actions that support and help others, fostering a sense of connection and community. Self-compassion, on the other hand, is the application of these same principles towards oneself. It entails recognizing one's own suffering and responding with the same kindness and understanding one would offer to a friend or loved one.
In essence, while compassion is directed towards others, self-compassion is an inward-directed attitude that involves treating oneself with the same care and concern one would offer to others. Both are essential for fostering emotional well-being and building healthy relationships with oneself and the world. Incorporating more self-compassion into your daily life can significantly improve your well-being and emotional resilience. Here are ten easy ways to practice self-compassion every day:
1. Practice Mindful Breathing
Take a few moments each day to focus on your breath. This helps anchor you in the present moment and fosters a calm, non-judgmental awareness of your thoughts and feelings.
2. Use Positive Affirmations
Start your day with positive affirmations. Phrases like "I am worthy of love and respect" or "I am doing my best" can set a compassionate tone for the day.
3. Keep a Self-Compassion Journal
Write down moments of self-doubt or criticism and respond to them with kind, understanding words, as if you were comforting a friend. Reflect on these entries regularly to see your growth.
4. Engage in Loving-Kindness Meditation
Spend a few minutes each day sending loving-kindness to yourself and others. This meditation involves repeating phrases like "May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be safe" and extending these wishes to others.
5. Treat Yourself as You Would a Friend
6. Set Healthy Boundaries
Recognize your limits and set boundaries that protect your time and energy. This act of self-respect is a key component of self-compassion.
7. Take Care of Your Body
Engage in regular physical activity, eat nutritious foods, and get enough rest. Treating your body with care is an essential part of self-compassion.
8. Allow Yourself to Feel
Acknowledge and accept your emotions without judgment. Permit yourself to feel sadness, anger, or frustration without pushing these emotions away or criticizing yourself for having them.
9. Practice Gratitude
Regularly reflect on things you are grateful for, including aspects of yourself. This helps shift focus from self-criticism to appreciation and positive acknowledgment.
10. Seek Support When Needed
Don't hesitate to reach out to friends, family, or a therapist when you need support. Recognizing when you need help and seeking it out is a powerful act of self-compassion.
By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you can cultivate a more compassionate and accepting relationship with yourself, enhancing your overall well-being and emotional health.
Recognizing Negative Self-Talk: Identify and challenge negative thoughts that prevent you from being kind to yourself. Replace them with more compassionate ones.
Setting Realistic Goals: Set achievable goals that consider your well-being and don’t overextend yourself. Understand that it’s okay not to be perfect.
