he philosopher Plato once mentioned that in most cases, locations in this world that are considered by western society as ugly are filled with beautiful people and that locations that are considered as beautiful are mostly populated by people who only share negativity. The same sort of ideology can be applied to Amou Hadji and the way he is seen by most people from western society.

Amou Hadji was born in 1934 and he is originally from Iran. Due to some events that occurred in his teenage years which he did not mention to anyone he decided to isolate himself and live from nature. For many years Amou traveled around Iran.

The picture may seem familiar to you as this photo went viral across the internet a few years ago, but as we all know our society, most people presented negative comments without wondering why this man chose to live this way.

Why doesn’t Amou wash?

Since he made this transition, Amou also stopped washing in his early 20s. During his travels, he would meet people that would offer him to shower for free but he always refused. That is how the local media found out about Amou.

Until Amou’s discovery, the Guinness World Record for a person not washing was by a man from India who didn’t wash for 38 years. Amou has now reached 67 years without washing and he is now 87 years old, which means he has not washed since his 20s.

When asked by the local news reports why he doesn’t wash, he answers that he is scared if he washes that he will get ill. He described the dirt his body accumulated for years as a physical immune system that helped him to never get sick.

The problem is that Amou found a taste for rotten meat. He actually defines it as his favorite meal and when offered “clean/fresh” food he feels offended. As he does not have money for tobacco, he smokes animal feces. When he is offered cigarettes he smokes five at once.

Interestingly enough, for a person who has been living such an unhealthy lifestyle, Amou seems to be pretty healthy, and living to reach the age of 87 says something.

One with Earth

Due to his age, Amou has now settled outside Dejgah city, Iran, where he mainly sleeps in a hole he dug which has been described by the locals as a grave. The locals, out of pity, built him a small house made of bricks, but he rarely uses it as he is afraid he will fall into debt of someone.

The locals describe him as a biblical character who has been born in the wrong period of time. He seems to love solitude and nature, although this does not mean he doesn’t love people. The locals from Dejgah always bring him food and come to socialize which even if he does not admit puts a smile on his face.

Despite all this, he seems to be much close to nature than anything else. His appearance makes people think that Amou is a bad person, but he is actually very kind and he would share anything with anyone in his presence. His phobia of water is misunderstood by most people.

The blackness that most people see as dirt is mostly ash as he puts his head inside the fire to burn it as he does not trust other people cutting his hair. The local reporters weren’t able to get much information from him on his past as a child and what really pushed him into this lifestyle.

Besides all the judgment brought upon by our society, I am a true believer in “do whatever makes you happy” and if this lifestyle puts a smile on Amou’s face then the world should leave him be.