I am glad I found this discussion. Wherever I search on the internet about this subject, all I get is "you are lazy!". "What, you don't shower everyday?" and that. No interesting discussion, why it really happens. Just that it's laziness and should be trivial. But it's not trivial for some of us and nobody every discuss why would someone avoid such a trivial task? I think I have some possible answers for myself, parts of them are kinda philosophical on social norms and how it's invalid with myself.

At first it puzzled me a lot. Because I couldn't find why I don't shower frequently, yet I couldn't answer why I should either. The obvious answer is hygiene, yet I believe that in most people it's a strong social norm that they practice religiously. Just think that most people even preach one bath or two every day, while I read studies which say that so frequent bath might even be not so good for you. Most of us don't know what happens in our body we might think we do it for good hygiene even if we do it too excesively, but it's just a social norm I believe and that's what positively motivates most people who don't suffer from this.

There is no obvious positive feedback about hygiene from taking a shower. I don't see some highscore of germs killed or suddenly feel more healthy. Meanwhile it's a chore sometimes, removing my clothes, getting cold, although it's a bit nice when you are under warmth, but then again cold and wet. There is nothing in it that will reinforce positively the little sapiens, if you know what I mean. At least in me and many of us. Maybe few people do really enjoy it, but I think many are socially reinforced to do it and they do like the social feeling of belonging or being as clean as the rest or not being a dirty outcast.

In a nutshell, I think that maybe few people do really enjoy baths and cleaniness, many don't have a special reason to do it but succeed so because it's more important for them to be socially accepted, while few fail to be motivated because of lack of direct feedback and maybe social apathy.

It's just my theory about me. There are a lot of situations in my life where my acts and peculiar mannerisms might be too awkward or abnormal, and in the back of my mind I do feel that maybe I should be ashamed of these, but somehow disregard this. Not enough motivation to make a shower so frequently and not enough social shame to force me to make it a habit either. A "normal" person would have found my situation horrendous and couldn't stand watching himself like this.

However I don't totally disregard social norms. Unfortunately I am stuck in the middle. I am reluctant to follow some of them, like taking daily shower, yet I realize I am not "normal". Then I defend myself against this idea, like who says what is normal or not (and I am stuck in the other thoughts, like it's not just about normal, but some people who are sensitive to smell and can't stand it). I am lost with this, constantly feeling like a little child, wondering why I don't do what everyone does, yet arguing who says this is the normal thing to do?

But I don't disregard. Since I have the shame. What doesn't happen is I don't feel either a social connection. I think most people do shower because of the social connection, that they are just like the rest, there is a common feeling of belonging. I can't explain. But that's my conclusion. I miss this connection to other things. I never do things just because I feel nice with following social norms. I do things because my inner ancient homo sapiens tells me to do. And he is indifferent about showering.

It's really complicated because it's a social norm first yet we mistake that people are primarily motivated to do it for good hygiene reasons. I used to do once per week, now I try at least once every two days (but not every single day, that's insane for me).