Why is society afraid of public nudity

I've been OOT for about a month and the weather in San Diego turned back o summer like conditions yesterday after 2 days of intermittent weather. Nothing more appropriate than a walk in the nude on the famous Blacks Beach. Not for everyone, but there were less than 50 people at 2pm, sunning, swimming or walking with clothing. Not bad for a weekday and a beach that is reached by going down a cliff or walking in at low tides.

We were both the same when we were young and had the same attitudes because we were bought up in a very textiled house, but I left and went to co ed college and she married her first love. Outside of the medical world no man except her husband has seen her naked, me was quite the opposite.

She will never be a true nudist and expose herself on the public beach, but she will if we are in a private spot or around my apartment and miracles or miracles, having taken the lead from me, she shows her string.

I think if everyone started wearing gloves all of the time, 2 or 3 generations later, people would consider viewing the human hand as obscene. I can't speak for all of humanity, but the parts of a woman's body that I can't normally see are the parts that tend to excite me sexually. I think nudity became sexualized because we (humanity) moved into colder climates and had to cover ourselves. As a result, the parts of our anatomy that were covered became *secretive* and arousing because it was the hidden, forbidden fruit (which is always tantalizing).

Nudity is only sexualized by people who aren't used to seeing it. If your looking at naked people all of the time, they become significantly less exciting because they are so common. Unfortunately, it has now been so long that we have been covering ourselves, some of us have become convinced that our misplaced reactions to seeing other human beings in their natural state makes the viewing of naked people evil...

What intrigues me about the Internet is that it is now so easy to see naked people... One wonders if after a generation or two of people growing up with easy access to viewing the human body, if the prohibitions against it won't ease up, since the excitement surrounding it may die down.

Just as a side note to the comments about religion and nudity: I would point out that while the gospel of Thomas did not make it into the Bible, it actually advocated for nudity: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/thomas/gospelthomas37.html

I think the Puritan thinking got everything all ass-backwards. I think being naked is a thoroughly good thing and should be advocated. It encourages humility, confidence, sharing, and encourages healthy sexual attitudes by removing artificial sexual stereotypes (that frankly, plague our society today).

Those of us, who are Nudists find it somewhat silly to fear nudity

Nudism is all about Body Acceptance and Freedom

In Europe it is accepted while in Puritan America it is not

Hopefully matters will change thanks to the internet

I really need to move to Europe, or at least visit take in some of the culture and costumes of the people like thier acceptance of nudity lol

I really need to move to Europe, or at least visit take in some of the culture and costumes of the people like thier acceptance of nudity lol

It's not all what it's cracked up to be in Europe. Don't let your imagination get the better of you. While we may think nothing of naked figures in public statuary or on public monuments or even in churches for that matter - think Rubens above cathedral altars - that doesn't mean you'll find naked or partially nude people walking the streets. Besides it being too cold in general for such stuff, it's just not done.

Yes, there are the beaches - Baltic and the Mediterranean in the main it seems - but I've yet to encounter anyone walking even topless in public. And believe me, I always have a camera handy in case ... ha ha.

Maybe the true difference is that no one makes a big fuss about the principle of nudity in general. You certainly won't hear of any court cases where old biddies try to ban books showing Michelangelo's David on the cover or other such Puritan lunacies. Movies don't get banned because of nude scenes and they are shown on TV without anyone thinking it inappropriate. And many European movies do show people having sex without their underwear still on ... ha ha

I can assure you that there is plenty of nudity along the southern beaches where I live in the Costa Brava of Spain. For example, in my town's main beach there is lots of topless. At the end of the beach, along the rocks there is total nudity and that place is dedicated to gay men who often have sex there. To the north, there is another beach with with topless-ness at the beginning, then total nudity, and finally sex along the rocks. General rule is nudity along the beaches and sex along the rocky areas.

I've been to inland Spain about every year since 1985 and before that all over France for some 10 or 12 years. And this year I've been living even further in deep inland Spain, on the Andalusian Altiplano (Washington Irving country if you've ever read his Alhambra Tales). The coasts, especially the tourist coasts in Spain are almost like another country, so different are many of the attitudes and the pace of things and the amount of people around, not to mention the non-Spanish tourists of course.

We spent some time on the costas too in Spain back when and it was a pleasure to look at the topless girls on the beaches. But inland, in the majority of the country, it's a whole different set of social customs when it comes to (partial) nudity. In all the years since 1985, I have only just this year found a very very out of the way public nude beach inland, on an artificial lake, hidden away between the trees and gulleys. And I have the impression it's mainly used by foreign tourists anyway - British or Dutch.

Once, while driving along the coast in a resort town called Vera Playa, I saw a nudist couple walking the village streets, but it was a coastal town with an official nudist club.Also mainly for tourists.

Otherwise, inland, it's apparently just not done. I have the impression that for Spaniards, one starts up a small business or restaurant in the coastal towns to earn some decent money, but then they know they will have to put up with all the tourist antics that go along with such places. Not grudgingly or sullenly or disapprovingly, more like wondering what it is with northerners who want to cavort in the sun.

I can't speak for everyone else but as someone who dislikes public nudity, in my case, I wouldnt call it fear but not giving a choice. If public nudity would be the norm, everyone would have to see it and deal with it somehow. It would be on posters, we'd see nude people here and there, in shows and movies. And I think it would be bad. Besides its not like being nude is illegal. You can just film yourself, put it up on the internet, hell, even organize nude parties. Why does it have to go further than that?

I can't speak for everyone else but as someone who dislikes public nudity, in my case, I wouldnt call it fear but not giving a choice. If public nudity would be the norm, everyone would have to see it and deal with it somehow. It would be on posters, we'd see nude people here and there, in shows and movies. And I think it would be bad. Besides its not like being nude is illegal. You can just film yourself, put it up on the internet, hell, even organize nude parties. Why does it have to go further than that?

If nudity in public were the norm, you wouldn't be aware there was anything special about it. And that because it was the norm, the expected way to act.

And being nude in public is illegal in many if not most places. Why would it otherwise be so easy to get charged with public indecency? On specific notes, if I am not mistaken in cities like New York and San Francisco there have recently been enactments of public anti-topless legislation because this was allowed - mainly from the point of allowing the breast feeding of babies.

Besides, the main reasons societies do not practice public nudity is because of climate, weather and in order to distinguish social ranking. In most areas of the world, climate alone prohibits people from going about their daily business nude.

People are afraid of public nudity because they haven't experienced it and, to them, nudity is a very personal thing and they are afraid of what would happen if public nudity were allowed.

The media has hypersexualized nudity to the point that most people think that public nudity would lead to some kind of spontaneous orgy of sex and violence because seeing other people naked would completely change who we are.

I think this view is silly to the point of being stupid... If your friends and neighbors aren't rapists and pedophiles now, they probably aren't going to change dramatically just because your suddenly naked.

Once we got over the shock value of seeing each other naked , I think we would ignore it...

I live close to a major city that up until recently, allowed for public nudity. For years, a small (but loud and proud) minority regularly walked around naked. For the most part, nudity was activism. Most of the nudists were gay, trans, or queer and it was their way of both celebrating their sexuality and protesting the attitude that nudity is disgusting.

At first, it was a little strange seeing random naked people in certain parts of town. But then, you get used to it. I am not one to walk around completely naked in public, but I am not uncomfortable or disgusted by people who do so. Once I witnessed a person scream something pretty ugly at a nudist. It was pretty amazing how quickly surrounding people, all fully clothed, came to the nudist's defense. The person who expressed their obvious disgust and anger was soon dealing with quite the backlash. I suspected that that person was a tourist and wasn't used to it, and their negative reaction branded them an outsider.

Public nudity is now illegal though, due to concerns that tourists would be offended. There is one exception: nudity is allowed if one is participating in a parade.

I think the reaction to nudity depends a lot on the surrounding culture and the specific context at hand. When I've travelled outside of my city, I've noticed that it's not weird to be naked in a locker room if everyone else is doing it. But if someone is the only naked person in the locker room, that seems to make people more uncomfortable. I think perhaps being the only naked person in a locker room can be interpreted as an inability to read social cues. I'm not saying that that is right or fair, but I think people oftentimes like conformity more than they think they do.

I live close to a major city that up until recently, allowed for public nudity.

I wonder if cities or towns that used to allow for public nudity did it more out of a hiatus in city ordinances than for any particularly enlightened reason. I would think that in previous decades or centuries, virtually no one would have thought anyone would ever willingly wish to walk around nude to begin with ... so there would have been no need for an ordinance or law.

Another example of political correctness rearing it's ugly head. It's like we all have to fear "offending" someone these days. When did it become illegal to be offensive?

Another example of political correctness rearing it's ugly head.

I'm pretty certain that banning public nudity falls more under the heading of religious inspired conservatism and prudery ... it's a reactionary thing, wanting to keep to traditional ways and norms ...

I see banning public nudity as the exact opposite, as prudes and old biddies and scared parents worried about their precious offspring seeing a pair of breasts or genitals in public and then becoming prematurely young corrupted sex-addicts or something ... ha ha.

Well, I'm laughing, but also serious. Society is becoming more prudish and uncharitable by the year. Nothing to do with political correctness which usually advocates for the opposite.

Just my opinion, but I think our fear of nudity stems from the segregation of the sexes from childhood and general competitiveness in terms of body image. I believe that from birth to adulthood we are conditioned to avoid contact with the opposite sex because it is seen as promiscuity. From my experience women can make excellent friends and it is not necessarily sexual. Also, as a man we are conditioned to compete for favor from women, rather than see them as equals in the romantic experience. This leads to jealousy rather than admiration and leads us to want to cover ourselves up for fear of being seen as ugly. I think if kids played without age or sex limits I think we would eventually reach a more understanding society free from alot of excess judgment.

Speak with any long term nudist, and they will tell you that nudism is all about body acceptance and freedom.

Many folks are insecure about their bodies. This seems to be more true with females than males.

Hence, those folks are very much afraid of public nudity, especially as it affects themselves.

If one is a true nudist, one completely forgets they are nude, and also, forgets those around them are also nude.

When you are conversing with someone else, you do not look at their body, but only their face.

A real nudist understands that nudity has absolutely nothing at all to do with sex.

As a Japanese friend once related to me, she sees nudity but does not look.

Nudism is complete freedom !!!

Another interesting and thought provoking thread with some incisive replies . From my own perspective I think Its how society socializes us to consider nudity as only appropriate in private or how the media has sexualized and sensationalized it. Its not a week that goes by that some celebrity is in the media for example the Kim Kardashian cover bares it all.

In other clothing optional societies you don't see people turned on by nudity so its not the case that we are conditioned from birth to be turned on by nudity for instance young children see nothing wrong with running around nude. Therefore its societal or religious beliefs that take presidence on our ability to feel comfortable with public nudity. I have been to countries like Spain, Greece and Germany , where it is much more accepted and their is very little public outcry or protest.

I think at times as we go through puberty that we become more interested in the opposite sex and and what they look like nude its only natural, but if you look at the nudists you don't see every boy or man becoming sexually aroused at the sight of a fellow female nudist regardless of how attractive they are as they don't see or perceive nudity as sexual.

Its really this belief that nudity equates to sexuality or sexual behaviour that is in my opinion the crux of this issue . Made worst by the media both the printed press ( like playboy and other publications of a similar nature etc) and the visual ( Television and the movie industry as well as the internet and social media) where nudity is used to titillate the audiences/viewer. Coupled with religious inspired conservatism and prudery and our own moral and ethical beliefs.

So there is no easy solution to this social construct .In the end we have to believe and accept that Nudity is fine and has its place , but so are clothes.

When I lived in California people were very relaxed about nudity. Sometimes you might see someone changing clothes at a parking lot by the beach and just think "Hey, those guys must have had a good time surfing today." Also, little kids (maybe 5 and younger) ran around naked at the beach. Nobody thought anything about it. Easier to clean off the sand and dry the kid.

I went to the nude beaches occasionally. Even though they are not technically legal everybody knows about them. It's a live and let live attitude. I used to go naked in my backyard all the time. Nobody ever said a word. I saw my neighbors slip out of their house early in the morning to grab the newspaper wearing little to nothing.

Now I live back east, and it is very puritanical here. If I went naked in my backyard I would probably get arrested. And be charged with a sex crime!! People are so uptight. I actually heard about a man charged for going naked inside his own house because he didn't close the window shades!! Stupid!

Likewise, all my life in California I was told to strip to my underwear for a physical exam. The doctor always pulled my underwear down to my knees or let them fall to the floor for the genital exam. I started receiving prostate exams when I was about 20, and got one every year.

Where I live now the doctor doesn't even ask me to unbutton a button. He doesn't examine any of my intimate areas unless I have a specific complaint. It's like they are afraid of nudity. I just don't get it. If the doctor is supposed to care for the body, how can he be afraid of the body?

I have been to countries like Spain, Greece and Germany , where it is much more accepted and their is very little public outcry or protest..

Can't say much about the other two countries, but in Spain you'll only find the relaxed attitudes along the tourist coastal areas, not inland. The coast is for tourists and therefore different rules exist there, mainly to bring in the money. If crazy Brit or German tourists want to walk around naked on the coast, well, that's apparently OK as long as they spend their money.

But truly, once inland in Spain, we are talking about much more traditional customs. It may be 40 degrees centigrade inland in the summer, but that doesn't mean people will shed their clothes to any degree. I've yet to see women going topless at pools inland for instance. Going topless or nude is virtually strictly a coastal phenomena.

And I have read the same about Greece. But I do admit I've only read about it. The coast and some of the Greek Aegean Islands might be havens for nudists, but from what else I know of Greek society, it is very religious and conservative and they have a very low opinion of foreigners coming to their country so they can walk around nude. It might be tolerated in some places where people live off tourists, but in contrast to Classical Greece of 2000 years ago, nudity is not the thing for modern Greeks.

Can't say much about the other two countries, but in Spain you'll only find the relaxed attitudes along the tourist coastal areas, not inland. The coast is for tourists and therefore different rules exist there, mainly to bring in the money. If crazy Brit or German tourists want to walk around naked on the coast, well, that's apparently OK as long as they spend their money.

The coast and some of the Greek Aegean Islands might be havens for nudists, but from what else I know of Greek society, it is very religious and conservative and they have a very low opinion of foreigners coming to their country so they can walk around nude. It might be tolerated in some places where people live off tourists, but in contrast to Classical Greece of 2000 years ago, nudity is not the thing for modern Greeks.

This brings back some wonderful memories of the (Turkish) Aegean coast, where my first wife and I vacationed several times. This was in the late 80’s. Our first trip was to Marmaris, which was popular with German tourists. Many of the women on the beach near our vacation village (small rented cabins) went topless, including a beautiful full-breasted woman in her early 30's, with a thong bikini bottom, who was therefore gloriously nude, except for that one small patch of fabric. She went with us on a boat trip to a small island near the coast, with only her thong, a bag and hat, and a light wrap against the sun... she was doubtless aware that the men on the tour enjoyed her presence, but none of us looked any longer than a casual admiring glance, and she was quite comfortable practicing her English with my wife and myself.

I never saw anyone go into the water naked, but it was clear that some (including two women and a guy, with a float carrying their wet suits) were stripping down once they were in the ocean. I decided to try it, too, at some distance from the others (and keeping a tight grip on my trunks, in my left hand, lest they float away)... It felt wonderful.

In contrast to the polite but unobtrusive admiration tourists in our little community of rented cabins showed one another when someone got mostly bare, there were a few local guys who would sometimes crash the party, and set up chairs facing the tourists rather than the ocean. They would point out individual women whose assets had their particular attention, and make some predictable remarks in Turkish.

It was for this reason that my wife, who said she would otherwise have liked to go topless, too, kept her top on. We're no longer together, but if she ever visits the Turkish Aegean again, she'll no longer have the opportunity to uncover anything.

From what I'm reading, the rise of the "religious" party now in control of Turkey did away with all that. No more topless beaches anywhere, if they can help it. They shut down the nudist resort at Adaburnu, etc. Can't have that.

I admired an analysis of "religious" repression of nudity and sexuality I read once, which argued that theocrats tighten their grip on power by making people ashamed of essential aspects of who they are -- like a love of being naked, and delight in sexual experience -- so those thus terrified of something they can't help, will feel all the more and perpetually in need of salvation and the theocrats' costly services, and submit to their control.

One account of the Salem witch trials I read said that it all started when a group of teenage girls, who wanted a brief respite from the tyranny of rules for the sake of stifling rules, were dancing naked in the forest, and got caught... and to escape punishment, they blamed it all on being ensorceled by a "witch." We all know how that turned out.