Pet Peeve #573

Okay - I want to talk to you about something that a) girls often do and b) is stupid.
Callous removal. The removal of callouses. That's what we're talking about.
Now, I've known a lot of females in my day, and get very personal with more all the time, and they almost all share the same misguided opinion:
Callouses are not supposed to be there and should be eliminated. Some even go so far as to say that they're "gross."
FACT: Callouses (which are toughened areas of skin, for the hoes at home) are there because your body (which is apparently smarter than you, by some strange twist) has determined that they need to be.
Callouses are, actually, awesome. Let me tell you a story. There was this guy in China a few decades back. He punched a block of steel 1,000 times every day for many years (along with a martial arts training regimen) - were he to punch anything less than steel, it would shatter. The local authorities were having some trouble with (read: couldn't handle) gangs, so they call in the guy. Using his skill and awesomely hardened fists, he, shall we say, dealt with the matter. Do you think he would have been as effective if he had used a pumice stone daily to remove "unsightly callouses" on his knuckles?
DO YOU?
Your body builds callouses because it needs them. If you walk barefoot on rough terrain, you build up callouses to protect your tender little toes. If your hands don't have callouses, people can safely assume you don't work for a living.
I won't get into the callouses I've built in other places, but let's just say that moving parts in contact require lubrication.

Stay Super.