Why be a naturist?
That is the wrong question, the real question is, why not?
What's in it for you?
- Naturism is enjoyable, natural and fun.
- Simple nudity is not indecent, shameful, or immoral. Everyone has
a nude body.
- Naturism encourages respect of self and others with no regards for
shape, disability, size, gender, race or religion by removing false
or misleading clues that are derived from clothing.
- Everyone has the right to know what humans really look like without
the false images encouraged by the fashion industry and inappropriate
peer pressure.
- Clothing accentuates social differences, either deliberately or
by custom. Naturism reduces these artificial differences.
- Naturists wear clothes when appropriate for protection, convenience,
comfort and warmth. It is a sensible lifestyle not one that demands
nudity.
What holds you back?
- Embarrassment? This can be a powerful reason, but we are
all the same under our clothes. Once having encountered a social nude
environment, people find that any embarrassment disappears.
- My body does not look good enough. Looks have nothing to
do with naturism, people do not do it "to be seen" nor indeed
to "see others". Fashion and the hunt for the perfect body
only leads to dissatisfaction, but this perfection is not achievable.
It is best to be yourself, and not to strive to be a poor copy of
an image made for marketing.
- Sexual offences? There are much lower rates of sex related
crime in naturist communities. Sad people, intent on sexual gratification
from a naturist environment, are always disappointed; they generally
go elsewhere. Such people are easier to detect in a naturist environment
and dealt with than elsewhere.
- It is frowned upon by your religion. Probably not. It is the religious
hierarchy that will frown upon it. Nakedness cannot be intrinsically
bad, if you believe in a God, how could he/she have made something
shameful? Did they make a mistake?
- Pornography? Porn is for sad people who cannot make a good
relationship or have a poor image of themselves.
- Harm to children? Obsessive covering up harms their upbringing.
Healthy attitudes to bodies helps children become sensible well balanced
adults. Children do not worry about nudity, adults do so in their
name.
- Fear of a bad reaction from friends? This can be a powerful
feeling but direct experience shows that quite the opposite happens,
people are usually encouraging.
- Women will feel threatened. No they do not! Some of the most
energetic proponents of naturism are women, people who have found
the benefits if a social situation that is more accepting of diversity
that most. You may find it interesting to read what female naturists
say.
- It's illegal? In the UK is it is not illegal to be nude in
public. The World Naked Bike rides in London and other UK cities are
run with the support of teh police. The Crown Presecution Service
publish
the legal situation.
If you believe in the ideal that all humans are born equal, why cling
on to clothes that are often only required to suggest social position
and status, i.e. you are better than the next person. Does swimwear
cover your shape and hence maintain your dignity? Really, everyone can
see your shape, so what are you covering? Naturism improves your self
confidence because it really really does not matter what shape or size
you are.
As Mark Twain wrote in Eruption, We are discreet sheep; we
wait to see how the drove is going, and then go with the drove. We have
two opinions: one private, which we are afraid to express; and another
one - the one we use - which we force ourselves to wear to please Mrs.
Grundy until habit makes us comfortable in it, and the custom of defending
it presently makes us love it, adore it, and forget how pitifully we
came by it.
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