nudist enlightenment?

[Bob S.]

I have been thinking about how nudists view others and whether or not we are more enlightened than non-nudists or not. My guess is that we are not.

"But we accept others' bodies more than textiles." You might say. Well, I think the big reason why we are so accepting of others is that we are not exactly in the majority and many others actually consider what we do as criminal, sinful, sexual, etc. We usually have to fight for our rights to be naked and in some places, it is technically illegal to be naked where the people are gathering.

That in mind, I think nudist beaches have the largest amount of body acceptance as well as acceptance of other lifestyle choices. That can be a double-edged sword, especially on beaches that are not official as these "others" could cause PR problems.

And nudist parks would have the less amount of others' body/lifestyle acceptance as these places have some security and privacy and can be picky about who enters. They feel safer there so they can relax and contemplate other people whom they see. In fact, a whole back, there was a study done where a woman worked and lived at two nudist parks during the summer and observed the nudists' attitudes. She concluded that nudists have the same hang-ups as non-nudists.

So my opinion? We are no less enlightened concerning body attitudes than our non-nudist counterparts, however, when we are in nudist venues, we amongst our peers and those who share our ideas of this social isue and we are just nicer to each other, thus less likely to be rude or mean to one another.

What do you think?

Bob S.

[Bob S.]

I have been thinking about how nudists view others and whether or not we are more enlightened than non-nudists or not. My guess is that we are not.

"But we accept others' bodies more than textiles." You might say. Well, I think the big reason why we are so accepting of others is that we are not exactly in the majority and many others actually consider what we do as criminal, sinful, sexual, etc. We usually have to fight for our rights to be naked and in some places, it is technically illegal to be naked where the people are gathering.

That in mind, I think nudist beaches have the largest amount of body acceptance as well as acceptance of other lifestyle choices. That can be a double-edged sword, especially on beaches that are not official as these "others" could cause PR problems.

And nudist parks would have the less amount of others' body/lifestyle acceptance as these places have some security and privacy and can be picky about who enters. They feel safer there so they can relax and contemplate other people whom they see. In fact, a whole back, there was a study done where a woman worked and lived at two nudist parks during the summer and observed the nudists' attitudes. She concluded that nudists have the same hang-ups as non-nudists.

So my opinion? We are no less enlightened concerning body attitudes than our non-nudist counterparts, however, when we are in nudist venues, we amongst our peers and those who share our ideas of this social isue and we are just nicer to each other, thus less likely to be rude or mean to one another.

What do you think?

Bob S.

[Hokienudist]

I agree, but i think alot of it comes from the fact that coming from a minority point of view, nudism, allows us to all bond. We all understand how each other thinks, and we all know the lengths that we each have to go, as nudists, to live the lifestyle that we choose.

[ATaurusJoker]

I definitly agree that nudism does not automatically give you a get out of non enlightment jail free card. I question the study however. I also question the groups tested on. Are these people who are open to nudism as a part of there life or are they just sneaking away for a summer and playiong naked under the name shelly and bob. I makes a difference. I notice it in myself. Beliefs that I am unsure about I sometimes continue to hold the hangups involved just because I'm around people that don't agree with my choices. Does that make any sense??? I hope so because I am really tired and have decided not to proof read it or retyppe it ::laughs::

Anyway I think that if you make a life style choice you need to slowly work into being more open about. This may help it become part of everyday life and therefor carry through the enlightment that one "might" attain throught being nude.

Steven

[Gary Naturist]

Bob, initially I was surprised at the results of the study you mention, especially since nudist organizations reacted negatively. However, I have since changed my mind.

There are two things that stand out about nudists: One is that we like to be nude. The other is that we are completely accepting of others? bodies which, if you think about it, is a prerequisite for others to accept our nudity.

I believe that nudists like to be nude because nudity brings pleasure. The pleasure comes from the production of endorphins in our brains, which reduce stress and pain, allowing pleasurable feelings to predominate. Non-nudists don?t get the endorphin rush from nudity. In my mind, the nudity-endorphin link is the primary element that defines nudists. We are enlightened regarding, and tolerant of, nudity because it is one of our defining characteristics.

I think that other areas of enlightenment / tolerance are primarily side effects of our comfort with being nude and seeing others nude. For example, nudists tend to be more open-minded about anything to do with bodily functions -- e.g. erections, sex, elimination -- but this is because we are reasonably free of hang-ups about the associated body parts. Also, we may have a healthier attitude towards the opposite sex, because we are less fixated on the outer person (the body) as the representation of the whole person. Finallly, as a visible minority, we may be more inclined to question the status quo and of authority.

In my view, our enlightenment and tolerance relate solely to nudity and the side effects of nudity.

Consider the following subgroups of nudists:
1. Nudists who frequent nudist resorts and camps.
2. Clothing-optional beach nudists.
3. Nude in nature nudists (hikers, campers, etc.)
4. Home nudists.
5. Gay nudists.
5. Swinger nudists.
6. Back-to-the earth nudists (hippies, new agers).

I have difficulty identifying areas of enlightenment and tolerance that extend across these subgroups, other than those mentioned above.

To summarize: nudists are accepting of nudity and, as side effects, are more open-minded about bodily functions, have a healthier attitude towards the opposite sex and, as a minority, are more questioning.

Gary

[nudeM]

Over the past year and a half, I have notice, through these forums, that being nudists, we all have one thing in common. And that is we all love to be nude, whenever legally possible. If given a choice to wear clothes or go nude, the majority would rather go nude, but due to todays society, we must remain clothed while in the public. But as stated in several responses, there are different types of nudist behaviors, which views are not all shared with others.

The casual nudists love to be nude at nudist functions, be it on the beach, c/o functions at home, or clubs that sponsor nudism. These types of activities are purely performed in a social-oriented atmosphere, where the main objection is to have a great time with others, while being nude. Activities could include swim overs, barbeques, various games, or have a social chat. These are held at private homes, or at nudist facilities.

I, myself, am considered a home nudist, due to the fact, I have not attended any nude social activities, other than attending a nudist beach every now and then. But I was not involved in any activities on the beach, so I can not say I cooperated in any nudist functions. Maybe one day I might. I would also like to meet other nudists who live in my area, but until that day happens, I will consider myself a home nudist.

Then you have the sex-oriented nude activities. This group involves being nude, purely for the personal excitment of having parties with a sexual overture. These activities are the ones that make the nudist movement difficult. These parties have all types of sponsors which could include straights, gays, and bisexual affiliates or organizations, such as they do with the social activities we associate ourselves with, only these activities are purely for sexual pleasure, and nothing else. There is a dividing point, so please don't get the wrong impression that I am trying to relate the two. There is only one thing that is related to the two, and that is being nude amongst others, and nothing more.

The activities that go on at a "social" atmosphere, and the "sexual-social" atmospheres have one thing in common, they like to participate in the nude, but the outcome is totally different. One is purely for social family style pleasure, while the other is for personal sexual pleasure. This is the dividing point, and we must be careful not to cross the line, in order to make the nudist movement proceed in a positive fashion.

Stay nude and God bless the troops.

[steevo]

For me, the discovery and particapating in social nudism, was and is a clear division of nudity and sexuality. It's the breaking down of the myths that we have been reaised to beleive, and the thruth of the simplicity of nudity.
I can remember my concerns of what my physical reactions would be to being exposed to a bunch of naked women. But in reality, nudity removes all the sexual images that I had always invisoned when I would look at a women in clothes.
It takes me from trying to imagine how sexual a women's body may look without clothes to realizing the simple beauty of the naked body.
Now everytime I see a naked woman, I always say to myself isn't she truly beatiful. No matter what her physical make up may be, small or large, thin or fat they are simply themselves.
Clothing is always a way to try to give a certain image. weather it be acurate or not. But in nudity there is no false being, just being truly youself. That is why you don't know a doctor from truck driver. we are all the same.

[Gary Naturist]

nudeM: You missed the nude-in-nature nudists who are kind of like home nudists in that it's a relatively solitary pursuit, but who do it outdoors to maximize their enjoyment of nature.

Gary

[nudeM]

Gary Naturist: I tried to involve as many nudist-type atmospheres as I could thnk of, but unfortunatly, I did miss some. I was trying to generalize one group as opposed to another group, i.e., social family oriented as compared to sexual gratification. I'm sure there are others out there, but I hope I categorized everything pretty general. Thanks