# Men absentmindedly stroking their beard, annoying/irritating or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2011, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252 "2011-09-05T09:33:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/1 "2011-09-05T09:33:21Z")
Having been induced to grow a short beard for the first time in my life (by a party who apparently likes her men bearded), I often catch myself at a new mannerism: when thinking on something or just woolgathering, I put the index finger of my right hand to my chin and with the thumb stroke the beard underside the chin. (my mustache isn’t far along yet to be twirled 😃 ) I am curious how men stroking the beard is generally perceived. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/2 "2011-09-05T09:45:40Z")
I’m not annoyed when others do it, but I’m somewhat annoyed when I catch myself doing it. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/3 "2011-09-05T10:14:24Z")
Not annoying. There are way more annoying tics than beard stroking. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/4 "2011-09-05T11:29:28Z")
why would you grow a beard if you don’t want to stroke it? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/5 "2011-09-05T12:15:48Z")
Mwuhahahahaha!!! ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/6 "2011-09-05T12:16:49Z")
I would sometimes stroke my former boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/7 "2011-09-05T12:47:16Z")
I suppose it helps further the public image that they’re sexually interested in her, and really, that’s for the two of them to decide. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/8 "2011-09-05T12:56:41Z")
Beard stroking is considerably less annoying than contemplative scrotum scritching. ---
**Author:** ![Walther\_Ego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Walther\_Ego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walther_Ego)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/9 "2011-09-05T13:24:37Z")
No options for bearded females? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/10 "2011-09-05T13:37:59Z")
I voted _Other_: male, bearded, non-beard-stroking-I-think, and not sure if it’s annoying since I’m not around any beard-strokers. But I am interested in the outcome of this poll. I’ll have to watch myself to see if I’m a stroker and don’t know it, especially if many people find it annoying. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/11 "2011-09-05T13:40:39Z")
I think [someone](http://www.starobserver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/web-Smoke-Mirrors-19.jpg) is pretty peeved about that, **Walther Ego** … ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/12 "2011-09-05T15:03:55Z")
Not annoying, unless it’s being done by someone I find generally annoying for other reasons. I usually have a beard and stroke it when I’m thinking. But when I go clean-shaven, I still stroke my chin. For the strokers, what is your stroking style? I typically use my thumb and first two fingers. Right hand goes to mouth, thumb at the right corner of the lips, index finger just above the top lip, and second finger just below the bottom. Then I move my fingers across my mouth, keeping my thumb in place, as though I’m curling my fingers into a fist. Thus I stroke my moustache and chin in one sweeping movement and wind up with my chin resting contemplatively on my fist. I never paid attention to how I did it before this thread ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/13 "2011-09-05T17:45:37Z")
Bearded male speaking. When the absent-minded stroking goes on, and on, indefinitely, I find it mildly irritating in others. I do it myself, and feel self conscious when I realize that I’ve been doing it again for the past 20 minutes. . ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/14 "2011-09-05T17:48:36Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > Beard stroking is considerably less annoying than contemplative scrotum scritching. “Contemplative Scrotum Scritchers” would be a great name for a rock band. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/15 "2011-09-05T17:48:50Z")
I am a clean shaven male who wish I had a beard so I could stroke it and look contemplative. ---
**Author:** ![Skyscrapers\_Are\_Gravestones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Skyscrapers\_Are\_Gravestones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skyscrapers_Are_Gravestones)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/16 "2011-09-05T17:56:35Z")
I chose ‘other’. I am male, bearded, beard-stroking - do not consider it annoying in others, BUT… I consider it extremely annoying when I do it, myself. And I do it CONSTANTLY. It also annoys several of my oldest friends, one of whom will reach over and grab my hand mid-stroke to make the. Incessant. Beard stroking. Stop. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/17 "2011-09-05T18:03:18Z")
Beard stroker, not too often I hope. Technique: first section of left index finger is across mouth at 45 degree angle, tips of left fingers stroking right cheek. I mean not to do it and wonder if it is annoying. Poll results so far mostly reassuring. It’s just weird having a second scalp on the bottom half of my head, but I break out horribly when I shave. I’m the contemplative sort anyway, but wasn’t trying to enhance the image. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/18 "2011-09-05T18:23:01Z")
I don’t have a beard - but when I’m thinking I often make the gesture. ---
**Author:** ![Gil-Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Gil-Martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gil-Martin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/19 "2011-09-05T19:06:13Z")
I am male, (usually) clean shaven, and I consider it somewhat annoying when a certain co-worker does this because he’s a pompous ass who strokes his beard when he goes into his fake “thoughtful mode” when it’s time to make a Big Decision. Generally speaking, though, beard stroking doesn’t annoy me. After all, I used to have extremely long hair and I was always absent-mindedly twirling my finger in it or otherwise fiddling with my locks. I figure beard stroking is more or less the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252/20 "2011-09-05T20:19:37Z")
I have a goatee, and do it only occasionally. It doesn’t bother me at all, regardless of who’s doing it. It’s no different than women (or men with long hair) twiddling with their hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-absentmindedly-stroking-their-beard-annoying-irritating-or-not/595252.md?page=2)