Sumber ilustrasi: Freepik
11 April 2026 13.45 WIB – Umum
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Desanomia [11.04.2026] If you are asked the question: Why do you have to bathe? What does bathing mean to you? Have you ever reflected on an event that happens every day, just like that? Even when the schedule is omitted, someone feels that “something is missing” within themselves, or someone else makes an observation in the form of a casual question: Have you bathed yet or not? How should we understand this topic? Perhaps in a moment of leisure, while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, you can observe the dance of this question on the screen of your mind. Then you can imagine yourself as one of the dances of reflection on it.
The dictionary offers a simple explanation of bathing: cleaning the body with water and soap (pouring water, immersing oneself in it, etc.). Depending on the context of the conversation, the word bathe can have varied and rich meanings. Here we will use the main meaning of the word, which simply refers to an event that generally takes place in a specific space called a “bathroom.” This definition, of course, does not exclude the possibility of other meanings, especially in relation to the concept of “bathroom,” which can differ from culture to culture.
With this understanding, we arrive at the everyday experience. Bathing has become a routine that is perhaps no longer questioned. Therefore, when a question is raised about it, it may seem strange. Why should something so simple and routine continue to be discussed? Isn’t this a waste of time? There may be different points of view. However, precisely for this reason, we consider it necessary to problematize it, to explore the possibility of revealing what remains hidden in what has been considered “resolved.” Is it really “resolved”?
If you have the opportunity to visit the personal hygiene and/or beauty industries, it is very likely that this matter is far from settled. Experts from various fields of study debate, trying to understand anew what bathing truly is as an event experienced by the human body. Chemists, biologists, biochemists, and specialists from other fields regularly present important findings that can serve as the basis for new products, thus driving rapid industrial growth. If all of this is projected onto the screen of your mind in an integrated way, you might ask yourself: what is bathing, really? A personal bodily event? A sociocultural phenomenon? An industrial or political-economic phenomenon? Or what?
For one person, bathing may be, as the dictionary defines it, simply an ordinary event in which the body is cleansed of what is called dirt. Bathing is an act of hygiene, cleaning the body. Another person might say that bathing is more than cleaning the body, that there is an experience to be achieved, one that goes beyond physical cleanliness. This act is often related to the search for comfort in one’s own body, a condition in which the body feels habitable and does not disturb consciousness. Cleanliness, in this sense, is not only an objective state but also a subjective experience that generates tranquility and order.
Through bathing, a person not only removes dirt but also re-establishes their relationship with their body. Why? Because in everyday life, the body is treated as a tool for work and activities. Bathing introduces a moment in which the body is felt directly again, not just as something to be used. The falling water and the attention given to the body create an experience in which consciousness and body realign.
Another perspective could argue that bathing also contains a dimension of self-formation. Cleanliness is often associated with social acceptability, so the act of bathing becomes a way of presenting oneself acceptably to others. In this context, the body is not only personal property but also something that is evaluated by the environment, by others. Bathing becomes part of the process of forming an identity considered appropriate in collective life. It is no wonder that other people feel entitled to reprimand you if you forget to do something considered necessary.
In the development of social life, bathing is no longer entirely a personal choice. Standards of cleanliness, bathing frequency, and body care practices have shaped collective expectations about how a person should live. These norms operate subtly, without direct coercion, but are strong enough to influence everyday behavior. As a result, bathing is often performed not only out of bodily necessity but also due to demands that are not always conscious.
If this has become established, then it can be said that a change is taking place. This shift reveals a change from biological necessity to social obligation. On the one hand, bathing is rooted in the body’s need to stay clean. On the other hand, this practice has developed as part of unwritten rules that regulate communal life. What seems like a natural habit has actually been shaped by a long social process.
In this situation, a tension arises between freedom and norm. Bathing is still perceived as a personal decision, but this decision is not entirely free because it has been influenced by prevailing standards. The choice to bathe seems natural, when in reality it has been guided by values that exist in society. Even bathing, which seems very personal, very intimate, may have become an industry agenda. Even the most personal action bears traces of social and economic influences that shape how a person understands, cares for, and values their own body.
What do you think? (njd)
Note: This article was made as part of a dedicated effort to bring everyday life around us to our minds.
