I was raised with the same standards of hygiene as the rest of you, but I’m going to admit that I like to be a little dirty. Don’t get me wrong here: I change my panties and bathe and all that, but I don’t mind the presence of a few germs. Let me explain.

In recent decades, the Hygiene Hypothesis has sprung up, with research suggesting that children who grew up with plenty of germ exposure (by playing outdoors, growing up on a farm, attending daycare, etc) have a much lower chance of developing asthma, eczema and other diseases.

The fact is our immune systems are made to encounter germs and then build resistance to them. An overly sterile environment doesn’t give the body a chance to learn how to do its job. This works in much the same was as vaccines: they give us a small shot of the weakened disease cells so we can build resistance.

Now, I’m not suggesting we all play in the dirt, but I know we can live without anti-bacterial soap. Good hygiene is important, but a few more germs might make us all stronger.

Image: notsogoodphotography