There is such a thing as pure unadulterated Ick indeed… especially if it is something seemingly meaningless like the beard thing. You can’t really discuss your way out of that, do you?

The Ick is not a rational issue, it’s largely irrational, in fact. And so is attraction for many people. So which wins? Ick can just murder attraction outright. Heck I still cringe about old boyfriends who did nothing wrong in particular other that generating that feeling from my part. Sometimes you just go from wow to ew in a matter of seconds.

Am I proud of it? Definitely no. Do I still follow that feeling? Yes. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. I know nothing that I can be talked out of feeling.