Total Body Acceptance: will we ever really get there?

[Nudony]

I decided to start a new thread based on Whitestoke's original post: "Puzzling Experience?", but broader that just the "labia-phobia" issue. Is Total Body Acceptance possible? Or do people have too much bagage from the outside world to ever reach a point where how much or how little is seen or perceived matters?

I'll use a past personal experience to illustrate a point. Some time ago, my family and I went to a couple-friend's appartment to spend a 3-day weekend. We undressed the moment we walked through their front door and were all nude the entire time, except for the 20 mn drive to their resort where we spent Sunday afternoon before leaving. Since their appartment is so small and we were good friends, "nudist etiquette" was mostly disregarded; practicality and friendship being the focal point of our time together. During these 36 hours, we talked about everything from politics to body acceptance, laughed, played, danced, had a few drinks, acted silly. Because of the high level of trust between all of us, there was no concern about bumping into each other and physical contact (which was unavoidable due to the lack of space), how we sat (we were all often just sprawled out on the couch any which way), keeping the bathroom door open and walking in and out, my daughter jumping around playing with our hosts (at one point she jumped on our female host's back and got a "horsy-ride" around the appartment; at another she got into a "tickle match" with our male host), or all of us squeezed tightly on a couch watching TV and dozing off. I guess you could say that body acceptance, at least during these 30-some hours, was total and complete. It was awesome.

In an ideal world, it could be the same in any nudist social situation. But it isn't an ideal world-not even nudism. At nudist resorts, you have both implicit and explicit etiquette. Then, you have people's own hangups and baggage. Many people would probably find the level of intimacy my friends and I shared "disturbing", even though it was all completely innocent.

I think total body acceptance is possible; but it is simply not possible everywhere or anywhere. A friend of mine used to say: "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at." This can be applied to social nudism as well. There will be people who will frown upon seeing a woman sitting a certain way, a child playing with an adult a certain way, two adult friends interacting intimately a certain way. That will often prevent total body acceptance from occurring in any given social nudist situation. For many people, the risk/fear of offending outweighs being able to truly express oneself.

I don't have an answer here, just commenting from my own personal observations.

[Nudony]

I decided to start a new thread based on Whitestoke's original post: "Puzzling Experience?", but broader that just the "labia-phobia" issue. Is Total Body Acceptance possible? Or do people have too much bagage from the outside world to ever reach a point where how much or how little is seen or perceived matters?

I'll use a past personal experience to illustrate a point. Some time ago, my family and I went to a couple-friend's appartment to spend a 3-day weekend. We undressed the moment we walked through their front door and were all nude the entire time, except for the 20 mn drive to their resort where we spent Sunday afternoon before leaving. Since their appartment is so small and we were good friends, "nudist etiquette" was mostly disregarded; practicality and friendship being the focal point of our time together. During these 36 hours, we talked about everything from politics to body acceptance, laughed, played, danced, had a few drinks, acted silly. Because of the high level of trust between all of us, there was no concern about bumping into each other and physical contact (which was unavoidable due to the lack of space), how we sat (we were all often just sprawled out on the couch any which way), keeping the bathroom door open and walking in and out, my daughter jumping around playing with our hosts (at one point she jumped on our female host's back and got a "horsy-ride" around the appartment; at another she got into a "tickle match" with our male host), or all of us squeezed tightly on a couch watching TV and dozing off. I guess you could say that body acceptance, at least during these 30-some hours, was total and complete. It was awesome.

In an ideal world, it could be the same in any nudist social situation. But it isn't an ideal world-not even nudism. At nudist resorts, you have both implicit and explicit etiquette. Then, you have people's own hangups and baggage. Many people would probably find the level of intimacy my friends and I shared "disturbing", even though it was all completely innocent.

I think total body acceptance is possible; but it is simply not possible everywhere or anywhere. A friend of mine used to say: "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at." This can be applied to social nudism as well. There will be people who will frown upon seeing a woman sitting a certain way, a child playing with an adult a certain way, two adult friends interacting intimately a certain way. That will often prevent total body acceptance from occurring in any given social nudist situation. For many people, the risk/fear of offending outweighs being able to truly express oneself.

I don't have an answer here, just commenting from my own personal observations.

[Enjoying life]

As a society we have along way to go. I don't think there will ever be a time that there is complete body acceptance. There are just to many people out there that just can't comprehend nudism and that it has nothing to do with sex. It's sad but I really think thing like what you experienced at your friends apartment is rear, you should be thankful. Keep up the movement and stay naked.

[nudeM]

Personally, the mere act of touching while playing around is not really an issue, but I can see where some might think it is not appropirate. Even though I wasn't a nudist while the kids were growing up, there was a lot of touching i.e., wrestling, playing 'horse', etc. If a household was a nudist one, then I see no problem with playful touching. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/smoking.gif

[NudeAl]

I think our society is too fluid too much in a state of flux to ever build the type of bonds of mutual respect nessesary to have the total body acceptance you experienced with your friends. Now in small groups of close friends you have built a trusting relationship with over time then yes in a limited way. But without the longterm interaction of people over time I don't think we can develope this. In small isolated communities who have a very established way of living to the point it becomes ingrained in their culture then perhaps. But you are talking about a very small percentage of the entire population. I would say in a small selective non landed nudist group this may be possible over time but it would constantly have to be reiterated to new members.

[shãybare]

http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/cool4.gif
There have been so many articles on "Body Acceptance". I am not exactly sure it can be answered in such a way for all to accept. It is very complicated because it involves the emotions of each individual. It is like saying a house is brown. Not only will each invision a different house, they will invision different shades of brown, different settings, etc.

There cannot, IMHO, be a set answer. We can all strive to accept not only the bodies of others but others period. As in life, as we grow, we are more accepting of others but our knowledge of others is handicapped by the prejudical attitudes from family, friends and others, media, etc. This "baggage" is carried over to our nude experiences.

Our nude experiences differ greatly from where we live, (apartment, house in the city, the country, etc), to what part of the country, which country and more.

This thread on body acceptance, like the other threads on body acceptance, will not be resolved for the above reasons mentioned, but that does not mean we each do not give up hope. We must understand, however, that the only person we can influence to change is ourselves. We must work hard to change our own attitudes of body acceptance.

[MJ_KC]

As has already been stated, there are way too many variables involved to ever expect that total body acceptance will ever occur, even within a large group of nudists. You can forget about it happening within the rest of society.

[bikerbare]

perhaps a somewhat simplistic answer but I believe its is possible, just noty in "OUR" lifetime. I just prefer to think there is always hope. HG

[Darwin]

I have to agree with MJ_KC.

True Body acceptance in society is nearly impossible. I say nearly because we once had it, before we learned to wear clothes to keep warm we ran bare *** with the monkeys.
Society has a problem with person acceptance. We all grow up a bias toward other groups and will learm more as we venture farther into the world. We separate into groups of like people, as we have all gathered here. Since we only completely accept those closest to us for all that they are so to will it be the same for our bodies. Total body acceptance is a level a intamcy we will only find with those closest to us.

I find it hard to believe we could have total acceptance of others. Body acceptance is only a small part of the larger problem. In a group of like people acceptance is going to be much higher than with a mixed bag of people.

[Eric6420]

I think that anything is possible. 20 years ago, who would had believe that gay marriage would be legal today in Canada, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and that gay unions would be legal in most of Europe?

On the other hand, things may go backwards for a while, we never know, and some people are not very bright.

We have reason on our side, but hate for nudity and sex is not new.

While I agree that social nudity has nothing to do with sex, people who are against erotica are also, generally against nudity.

Personnaly, I appreciate gay porn and I think it helps body acceptance.

Body shame is based on sexual oppression and taboos.

As long as talking about sex is considered inapropriate, body shame will stay.

[nacktman]

nudony, individually I believe we will arrive at Total Body Acceptance, as a society "I has me doubts me friend".