Someone once said, "I wanted to be kissed more than I wanted to breathe." Now, I'm DEFINATELY not that far gone, but I do wonder sometimes...What's the big deal, and how did that come to be?
The first documented kissing (as we know it) was found from 1500 BC in India. Alexander the Great and his army, while attempting world domination, discovered this practice, and spread it wherever they went (All over the Middle East, and then to the Romans who spread it all over Europe).
Looking at the kisses of other cultures, and what they mean, prehaps we can better understand. Eskimos engage in what is referred to as "nose kissing". This sounds absolutely abhorrent, but really, I think it's rather romantic. In their culture, it is believed that breath is a part of the soul. So, to symbolise the intermingling/giving of souls, they bring their faces together, kinda cheek-to-cheek, and breathe. Breathing (Keep in mind that anything so unique as kissing, when boiled down and described in words, is never as good as the real thing)
Just a sec, I have to go watch the sunrise.
Ok. I'm back.
Breathing in just a part of one's soul, and giving to them your own. This, as much as anything, is a symbol of a spiritual union, a promise and a confession. Without any vulgar implications, or opportunites for desecration. Lucky. India has changed a lot since their invention of the kiss; there is now a fine or even a jail penalty for PDA in that country as well as in Malaysia and Pakistan. Indonesia is trying to pass a law to giving PDA a 10 year jail penalty. Indians, instead of "nose kissing," bring their mouths near each other for much of the same symbolism. I don't like this quite so much, mouth breath isn't my favorite thing. Still, same idea. In Japan, kissing is the same, but made mostly private. Kissing in movies is not considered a "virtous custom". Some Africans believe that the mouth is a portal to the soul, so they don't allow anyone to kiss them for fear of having their soul stolen.
So, what does this mean, then? Is this totally a sociocultural thing? Does it mean nothing without the cultural interpretation? Or is there something else at work here?
Biologically, kissing releases endorphins and acts on nerve endings which are more sensative than most others because they are wired directly to the brain. Unfortunately, an average of 278 colonies of bacteria are exchanged in every kiss. However, although hard to believe, the good points may outweigh the bad. Kissing prevents tooth decay and plaque (but don't ask me how, I don't wanna tell you). It also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and boosts the immune system by increasing oxytocin levels in the body. By working 34 muscles of the face, kissing slows the aging process and burns 4 to 6 calories a minute (compared to 11 on the treamill).
So, to the US culture? Kissing is about as ingrained in us as breathing. When asked whether they would give up kissing or something more involved, an overwhelming 63% would keep kissing, and 16% said it was too hard to decide. Men who kiss their wives before leaving for work generally has a higher income than he who does not. The average woman will kiss 79, count them, 79 guys before marriage. 92% of teenagers are not VL. Yay for the 8%. I hope to be among your ranks for a while. Still...it's kind of an exciting thing to look forward to...ha.
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2 comments:
yeah, my brother likes to say that kissing a dog is cleaner than kissing a human. dogs have teeth though, and their breathe smells worse. generally.
it's pretty fun. i like that "nose kiss" idea. that's pretty cool.
sometimes i feel like my soul's missing. that's a good excuse! i should use that sometime.
hehe yaya for stolen souls
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