World's Dirtiest Man Dead At 94 After Not Showering For 60 Years

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SOURCE - An Iranian hermit who had been unofficially dubbed the “world’s dirtiest man” after not showering for some 60 years has died at age 94, state media reported.

Amou Haji – not his real name, but an endearing nickname given to elderly people – reportedly died Sunday in the village of Dejgah.

Haji, known for his grime-covered skin and matted hair, abstained from washing because he believed soap and water would make him sick. He lived in isolation for most of his life in an open brick hut, which villagers made after he started sleeping in a hole in the ground.

The villagers in this town sound like the nicest people in the world. Imagine how bad Amou Haji must smell? He hasn't showered in 60 years and was sleeping in a hole in the ground? Despite all of that, his neighbors gave him a nice nickname and built him a brick hut?

The story actually gets grosser. He also would not eat any fresh food but instead would choose delicacies like rotten porcupine, drink from puddles and smoked a pipe of animal shit. As nasty as all of this sounds, what if he was onto something?

Maybe being really filthy is the secret to long life? He was living in a hole in his 90's and not getting sick. Could all the years of not showering have helped him? He claimed bathing would make him sick and give him bad luck. Sure enough, a few months before he died, these same villagers did have him get washed in a bathroom. Maybe he needed all the grime to ward off potential illnesses?

As someone who likes to shower twice a day, I do find Amou's lifestyle to be shocking but it must also be peaceful. Wake up when you want, don't worry about what to wear, eat some rotten animal, smoke some animal feces and call it a day. If you can deal with being dirty and smelly, it does sound peaceful. The grass is probably always greener though. Amou said late in his life that he was very lonely and wanted companionship. It was speculated that he took that bath a few months ago so he could meet someone. In the end, it wasn't the dirt that killed Amou Haji. It was conformity.