We're "clean freaks" because we've learned that there are harmful microbes and parasites in the world. Millions die/have died of disease such as cholera and typhoid that are spread chiefly by poor hygiene. The parasites we don't get as a result of having clean water and sanitary sewers are on balance harmful to us.
I'm not sure I buy the "hygiene is harmful" argument or that we've gone overboard with it. I think a lot of other factors that have changed in the past 60 years might factor in, including a misguided government/agribusiness lead food pyramid that is way out of balance with our pre-civilization diets, as well as the introduction of highly processed and sweetened food that for many of us forms the majority of our diets.
> I'm not sure I buy the "hygiene is harmful" argument or that we've gone overboard with it.
You can be hygienic and still cultivate behaviors that increase your exposure to safe levels of microbes. For instance, I always wash my hands after using the toilet but I’m less concerned than most about the use-by dates on food products and prefer to make decisions based on my sense of smell and taste. Not sure if that’s a good example.
There's a pretty wide gap between the level of hygiene required to prevent something like cholera (hint: basic plumbing to move your poop away from where you live) and the overly compulsive level of cleanliness I see amongst so many today. Numerous household cleaners with crazy anti-bacterial formulations, people obsessively covering their hands with alcohol-gel. These products are driven more by advertising and people's need to find things they can control in their lives than they are preventing any real amount of disease.
There's ample evidence that children growing up at a farm are on average healthier and with a stronger immune system than children growing up in the city.
Indeed, hygiene is not harmful, but we have gone overboard with it. As with most things in life, going to the extremes is bad for your health.
I'm not sure I buy the "hygiene is harmful" argument or that we've gone overboard with it. I think a lot of other factors that have changed in the past 60 years might factor in, including a misguided government/agribusiness lead food pyramid that is way out of balance with our pre-civilization diets, as well as the introduction of highly processed and sweetened food that for many of us forms the majority of our diets.