Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

[richinud]

If nudity is ok, as so many nudists and naturists apparently believe, then surely more people should be happy to have photographs of themselves, hairy or smooth, young or old, pretty or plain, on public display. It amazes me how many so-called nudists say the naked human body is perfectly acceptable and then proceed to hide it from society behind closed doors. If you truly believe your naked body is acceptable to anybody, then you should be prepared to show it to anybody, in real-life, or in print, or on the web. Hiding yourself means you don't really believe what you say. Discuss Smiley

Rich.

http://www.naktiv.net

[Fitz1980]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Yea we all think that nudity is OK, but we also live lives that force us to interact with people who might not share that belief. Some nudists have jobs that we could stand to lose were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists come from conservative families who would disown us were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists would be OK themselves but don't want their kids to have to grow up with the stigma of being "the kid with the weird parents who's nude pics are all over the internet."

[Arnabas]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Well.... for myself, I have pondered this for a while. Someone once asked why people do post pictures here, as they tend to be pics of themselves just standing around at home, as opposed to vacation pics, or something a bit more interesting. I had posted mine partly as a way of commiting myself to being part of the community. Not sure how to explain it. Basically, despite considering myself a nudist and preferring to spend my time naked when possible, I still deal with the feelings instilled in me by my parents-- that nudity isn't appropriate for otheres to be witness to and that nudists are just weird. Sometimes I do still believe that. I mean, some of us get together just for the sake of being nude with other people. That's weird right?

No, it isn't, really, but sometimes I feel that way.

But there are a lot of considerations behind whether or not to post any pics. I really wouldn't feel comfortable with my wife's eldest sister seeing my pics, for example. Not because of shame or feelings that I have done something wrong, but she would feel that it was wrong and it would likely cause tension between me, my wife and her and I don't need any more tension with her. In this instance, reluctance to post pictures would be out of respect for my wife. And if one day my son would come home and say that his friends had seen the pics of me naked online and he was embarrassed by it, I would try to explain that there is nothing wrong with it and that his friends have just bought into the notion that nudity is bad, but ultimately I would take the pics down to protect him.

Also, while I feel that there would be nothing wrong with nude pictures of my son, I wouldn't post them A) for fear of getting arrested and B) because I know they would probably be found at some point by someone looking for such pictures for less then honourable reasons. And while we could say that the problem is not with the pictures, but with the individual making inappropriate use of them, it wouldn't change the fact that it would be involving my son in something unsavoury.

So really, there is nothing at all wrong with the human body and I have no problem with being nude in pics or in my avatar, but there are plenty of reasons that people would take a different view. That doesn't make the "so-called nudists". Just makes them cautious in a world that doesn't really understand/ accept nudism yet.

[Arnabas]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Heh, I wrote too much and Fitz was able to get in before me. :P

Also, as much as we all say that no part of the body is any better or any worse that another, most of us wouldn't fail to think that a close-up crotch shot is intended to be sexual. Or if we look at a picture of a woman sitting in such a way that her legs are wide open and her vagina fully visible, we'd probably think it was intentional, even if it wasn't.

I once worked with a guy from Nice, in the days before I had even tried social nudism. I remember him opening a book (we worked in a bookstore together) that had a few nude pics of adults and children. He showed me one of a young girl by a pool, partially laying on her side, her bottom leg straight and the top leg bent at the knee, so that he vagina was visible. He said "now this is natural and beautiful". All I could think was that it was creepy to say that. Looking back on it, there wasn't even really a sexual air to it, it was a cute kid smiling at the camera in a pose that plenty of people sometimes assume. But the fact that she was naked made it uncomfortable.

I'm rambling a bit, but basically I am trying to say that there are some things that even nudists are not comfortable with, no matter how much they accept the body as good and decent.

[Ken Palmer]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Hey Fitz1980, I know what you mean. I am in this exact scenario you just described. I work in a field in which I would probably be either terminated or ostracized if my co-workers and/or supervisors found out that I am a nudist. And the same thing goes for my family. As I mentioned in a post last night, none of my family members know I am a nudist and I intend to keep it that way. If they find out, I indeed would either disowned or flatout disgraced. When your dealing with deeply religious people, that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess. But anyway, this is a prime reason a lot of us choose not to post nude pictures of ourselves on the Internet. I know a lot of people who's family and employers know they are nudists and do not care. But as mentioned, this is not the case for all of us. But believe me, I wish it were!

Ken Palmer

Yea we all think that nudity is OK, but we also live lives that force us to interact with people who might not share that belief. Some nudists have jobs that we could stand to lose were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists come from conservative families who would disown us were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists would be OK themselves but don't want their kids to have to grow up with the stigma of being "the kid with the weird parents who's nude pics are all over the internet."

[Home Nudist]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Yea we all think that nudity is OK, but we also live lives that force us to interact with people who might not share that belief. Some nudists have jobs that we could stand to lose were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists come from conservative families who would disown us were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists would be OK themselves but don't want their kids to have to grow up with the stigma of being "the kid with the weird parents who's nude pics are all over the internet."

Fitz said it best. It's just common sense.

And, getting into the "who needs to know?" area (as some have), if I'm comfortable and free being naked around the house, who needs to know? What possible value would that fact have for anyone -- other than to promote giggles, possible scorn, and and possibly label me as "weird."

What one wears (or doesn't wear) around the house shouldn't even be a topic of conversation; boring and mundane. So, I choose not to make an issue out of it.

Perhaps, my neighbors are running around the house naked, too. Who cares?

[yellowstud]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Yes, nudity is truly ok.
Being seen nude by the wrong people, at wrong time and in wrong place would be the problem.
It is not the nudity that is not ok but that certain society is the one who is not ok with nudity.
There are other societies or culture where nudity is ok or even is their daily life style.

[Naturist Zoar]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

well written yellowstud....that's exactly the same thought I have.

[nudeM]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

I echo the part about nudity being okay, but not everyone has the comfort of "telling or showing everyone". There are professions that would not allow everyone to be seen nude. Professions such as educators, public services (sheriff dept., welfare department, etc.). I have no problem with people knowing or my nudity, but since I work for the County, I just don't think it would be wise to advertise myself on the internet. Granted, I did have my avatar several years ago (nude), but I decided to remove it. I might put it back on someday, but until then, I think I will leave it off. Also, should anyone find out I had a nude pic on the internet, word would travel fast and the wrong people might find out i.e. CPS (we are raising our Grandson).

[NudeAl]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

Nothing worng with nudity or nudism but we all have to live with those who don't agree and for the time being the dominant veiw seems to be that if you are into such things well you are an odd ball and you are risking your career and some of your personal relationships with friends and family as well.

I don't have pics posted here because I feel no real compulsion to do so. I also think that if we had a lot of nude pics posted on any nudist website the site would attract those who were here for the wrong reasons a sort of soft core porn site. If you want to look at nude pics go right ahead I just think that we need to avoid the perception of being a venue for looking at nude pics.

[Pumpkinpie]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

I for one don't have to put a picture of myself on no websites to prove a point to no one, as I stated in a previous post my job comes first I am a single parent with bills-rent- have two sons I am putting through college,my family and couple of friends knows that I am a nudisty and thats what important to me, and when I go to resorts or beaches I make new friends.

[richinud]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

we also live lives that force us to interact with people who might not share that belief. Some nudists have jobs that we could stand to lose were naked pics of us to become public. Some nudists come from conservative families who would disown us were naked pics of us to become public. "

Indeed. This is the very same issue which the gay community has had to deal with over the years. At one time homosexuality carried the death penalty, over time this was reduced to severe public censure. You have to remember that when Alan Turing was threatened by the British Police force with public exposure, (including of course his own family), as a practising homosexual, his choice of reaction was to commit suicide! Now, many actors, musicians, politicians even, film directors, office colleagues, friends and acquaintances, might be gay and we don't blink an eyelid. This is not to say that people do not still have personal opinions which differ from the homosexual world view, and we don't all have to be gay (thank goodness), but the critical point is that the gay community has forced mainstream society to largely accept them. They didn't do this by hiding in closets, they "came out". Nudists and naturists could learn from this example by embracing a more positively naktiv lifestyle and do your bit for true freedom.

Rich.

http://www.naktiv.net/activism.html

[northlondoner]

Re: Nudity is truly ok (or not?)

The problems naturists face are very minor compared to those gay men have faced.

We can maintain most if not all of the personal relationships we have with clothes on. Naturists do not face anything like the persecution that gay men and lesbians have faced and still do in many parts of the world.

There may be lessons from campaigning groups that could be applied to campaigns for more naturist beaches, saunas, swims or other recreation, but there I think the comparison ends.

[nudeyooper]

Found this video on You Tube where nudity is treated as normal for some, yet objectionable to others. don't know the country of origin, but we certainly could use more like this.

Paradise Falls s01e05 The Body - YouTube

[Prim]

Richmud your right. But there be good reasons why nudists refuse to be nude all the time. We not be the perfect specimen as with Adam & Eve it’s called the aging process, our naked beauty does wain with age. Many have self awareness of that. More so us woman and I guess men for other reasons. And besides Many of us like to be nude around special friends and not just anyone including when out amongst nature too. While others are happy to express their nudity to the 4 corners of the world. Thats ok too