{"id":4717,"date":"2020-10-23T18:25:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-24T01:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturistplace.com\/theblog\/?p=4717"},"modified":"2021-02-12T09:45:49","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T17:45:49","slug":"should-certain-parts-of-the-body-be-considered-private","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturistplace.com\/theblog\/2020\/10\/23\/should-certain-parts-of-the-body-be-considered-private\/","title":{"rendered":"Should certain parts of the body be considered “private”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It would be surprising if most naturists’ answer to that wouldn’t be a firm “no!<\/em>” Or probably “hell, no!<\/em>” After all, naturists enjoy being naked, and may reasonably choose to be naked in the presence of others – as long as it’s practical and their nudity shouldn’t cause offense.<\/p>\n

Genuine naturists aren’t exhibitionists who get an illicit thrill by not covering parts of the body that most societies tend to regard as “private”. So that’s not why they answer “no” to the question in the title. Rather, it’s because naturists – at least those who’ve considered the issue – think the idea is mistaken that certain parts of the body should be considered “private”.
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There’s more at stake here than some abstract dispute about what body parts should or should not be considered “private”. That’s because the ability of naturists to practice and promote their beliefs in the wholesomeness of the naked human body hinges on opinions about this issue.<\/p>\n

Before proceeding, let’s be clear about some things. To begin with, we’re talking about “privacy” in terms of whether or not certain body parts are visible to others. So only external body parts are involved, and not parts internal to the body that would almost never be seen by others. In particular, the parts in question are really just what’s found in the pubic area, and female breasts (especially the areolas).<\/p>\n

In contemporary Western societies, at least, that’s about it. In recent times bare buttocks have to a considerable extent emerged from the “must be private” category. (Especially considering some women’s bikinis.) Even Facebook tolerates bare butts. (But don’t dare turn around.) 100 years ago, even bare male chests were in the shouldn’t-be-seen-on-the-beach category. And not long before that, female ankles and calves. So opinions about what should or not be seen “in public” changes with the times.<\/p>\n

Another important point is that what body parts should be considered “private” will be very different when the question is about others touching the parts, not merely being able to see them. This is an entirely different issue. Even naturists are very careful when physical contact is the issue, not merely visibility. In fact, there’s probably general agreement among both naturists and others that nearly all of a person’s body should be considered private as far as touching is concerned. Except in various special circumstances, contact with others’ bodies should occur only with clear consent.<\/p>\n

Now, with all that out of the way, let’s get to the basic issue. The central problem is that almost all contemporary societies have a fairly firm concept of “public” vs. “private” parts. The former are “OK for others to see”. The latter are “should always be covered”. Obviously, that way of thinking means naturism has to be confined to private homes (and maybe most of the time not even then), or else places like naturist resorts, officially permitted clothing-optional beaches, and (perhaps) out-of-the-way hiking and camping areas.<\/p>\n

Naturists, if they wish to stay out of trouble, accept as a practical matter the need to go along with this. But they shouldn’t have to, and should<\/u> advocate for changing this whole way of thinking.<\/em><\/p>\n

There are many naturist bloggers who’ve often written about how good nudity feels, nudity’s many health and psychological benefits, and all the positive aspects of socializing naked with others. Unfortunately, these frequently repeated truths (and they are truths) are unrecognized by people whose social conditioning has led them to regard naturism with derision, contempt, and extreme skepticism.<\/p>\n

The result? Almost all naturist bloggers and writers eventually give up and direct their energies elsewhere. Does this mean that giving up is the right choice? No, not at all. It means that new approaches to promoting the wider acceptance of social nudity are needed.<\/p>\n

Do you<\/em> believe that there are parts of your body that ought<\/em> to be “private”, hence necessarily covered up? I have to suppose the answer is “no”. And in that case, how can you be content for long if you’re naked only when by yourself – and therefore unable to show others the pleasure you experience from being naked?<\/p>\n

So if you’re a naturist and want to persuade others to try social nudity for themselves, what can you do? A good place to start is letting friends and relatives (those who are open-minded, at least) know that you’re convinced of the benefits and pleasures of naturism. And one of the first points you’ll need to make when doing this is the wrongness of the whole idea that certain body parts are “private” and need to be covered up.<\/p>\n

Once you’ve let others know you’re a naturist and enjoy social nudity (rather than only private nudity), the next step is to actually be naked at suitable times with others who know and accept your preferences.<\/p>\n

With any luck, this may have the desirable effect of motivating others to consider trying naturism themselves. It’s clear how this works. In the presence of one or more people who’re naked, someone else may decide to try it at the same time. Because, why not?<\/em> Who’s going to complain? People in groups not infrequently imitate what others are doing. Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on the actual behavior, but it does happen. (“Monkey see – monkey do”) Naturists should at least consider this possibility, providing others don’t feel pressured to be naked.<\/p>\n

In this scenario, much depends on whether or not certain body parts are considered “private”. For instance, others around you may accept that you can legitimately waive your “right to privacy” regarding what parts of your body you don’t choose to cover up. But they may prefer not to do likewise. Indeed, they still have the right to their own preferences, even if “privacy” isn’t a consideration. However, if this notion of “privacy” isn’t on the table, at least one reason not to give naturism a try is eliminated.<\/p>\n

The effect of socializing naked with others who aren’t isn’t necessarily immediate. Although your friend “Bob” who’s gotten used to seeing you naked and has no objections may not quickly decide to try naturism himself, he might take that step someday. So if and when he does, and he finds he enjoys it, he’s in a position to pass the idea along to others. And he’ll probably also explain then that the notion of certain body parts being “private” is just wrong. If he explains this to his friend “Alice”, she too may be more accepting of your<\/em> preference for nudity.<\/p>\n

We all know that persuading others to give naturism a try usually isn’t easy. Sociologists have done studies about persuading others to adopt new behaviors that come with some “cost”. Going on a diet, taking up a new form of exercise, or learning a new skill are examples. Becoming a naturist is another. The studies show that a person is more likely to attempt a behavior change in proportion to the number of trusted acquaintances who recommend it<\/em>. Makes a lot of sense, no? Anything that makes the task of persuasion easier raises the chances of success. Dispelling the idea that certain body parts are necessarily “private” is one thing that helps.<\/p>\n

It’s certainly worthwhile to think a bit about the reasons why a mistaken idea – like the “privacy” of certain body parts – has become so widespread. There are various reasons for the idea’s origin. (The same question could be asked about the concept of “privacy” itself, though the reasons are probably more substantial.) However, for most people, the reason the idea has been acquired initially is probably just that it was impressed on them as young children by a number of people, including parents, teachers, ministers, etc. <\/p>\n

Young children usually enjoy being naked, without any concerns, until they’re told they need to wear clothes, for reasons they don’t quite understand. And the people who tell them to cover up don’t really know why either. It’s because the idea that certain body parts are “private” is what they<\/em> were taught as kids.<\/p>\n

Let’s just wrap up by summarizing the reasons that discrediting the idea that certain body parts need to be considered “private” is important for naturists. Each of the following things becomes easier:<\/p>\n