I currently have a beard, mostly because it takes less time to shave. I've probably considered the logistics too much: add up three minutes per day for 365 days--that amounts to 18 hours per year shaving. But maybe it's nonetheless worth it to shave. Many people say that having a beard suggests that one is hiding something, not being forthright. That's apparently what politicians think these days based on the lack of beards. Others argue that a beard makes one look more thoughtful. I don't claim to have any answers--I suspect that the way people react has to do with the kind of beard one has. Is it well-trimmed, for example? Andrew Sullivan has a short post suggesting that consumers react in somewhat predictable ways to beards. And here's more from the Chronicle of Higher Education.