.

[monkeyfish]

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[Bobbert]

Those are some good questions!

Why we sought this forum for discussion of naturism: I think you're right that we have found only limited naturist interactions elsewhere.  It is a big help to know that you aren't alone and to have others to speak with regarding naturism.  You don't have to fight the uphill battle of explaining/defending naturism to the other people here before you're even able to discuss it.  I'm not so sure how that would apply to those who have real life naturist groups/families.  The more the merrier maybe?

You also asked about the perfect society.  This site probably wouldn't exist.  My girlfriend and I were discussing naturism, and a question kind of like that came up.  I was explaining that naturism is no great departure from everyday life as we know it.  It just wouldn't be an issue whether or not someone was wearing clothes.  That led to the question of why I was making such a point of it if it isn't supposed to be that big of a deal.  Unfortunately, an issue would need to be made of it now so that things can be fixed enough for the issue to go away.  Or we can just keep coming to this site and keep visiting naturist resorts.

Whew, that ended up being really long.  Someone else can probably sum it up better.

[Bostonian26]

I've thinking lately about how it is such a big deal to us that we are naturists.  I mean we all seem to have come to the conclusion to join this forum.  But why?  Why is it something that we not only do but feel the desire to talk about?  ( I'm being philosophical here, not accusing us of anything)

In a perfect society (one where nudity is fully accepted) would a website like this even exist? 


My guess is that it's because its not practiced by the majority and we have limited people to associate with in our interest.  Any thoughts?

Personally, I don't think it's a big deal to me that I'm a naturist. I joined this site, both because there are like-minded people here, and because it seems like a great and welcoming community where many things can be discussed, including, but not limited to, naturism. (for instance we can talk about my excessive use of commas ;-)). While obviously naturism is discussed here, it seems to me that this is a site for people that already have that facet in common to discuss other things. Like-minded people tend to congregate with others who share at least some of their views and activities. Just as there are forums based around religion, sports, and other interests, I think this forum, at least partially, serves the same purpose.

In a perfect society I think a forum like this would still exist. Obviously I think the populace at large would be more accepting of a diversity of perspectives in a perfect world, but I think there would still be the human desire to share commonalities with those who understand them more deeply.

[rc]

i think it is simple in a perfect soceity if a socail nude website would exist is yes, do people like to ski yes and it is allowed and you can find websites for it

[abutton]

  even in a perfect society we would probably have groups like this.  It is just a social group like any other.

In a perfect society though no one would look at me weird if I decided to go into work on casual friday with nothing on.

[Pyre]

A point well made there I think! Yeah I agree that we would have groups like this even in a perfect society much the same as you would have groups discussing music or movie preferences. It's just a place where like minded people can come and talk to one another and discuss problems and topics without having to explain what it's all about to start with. I seem to be repeating what Bostonian has already said anyway so I'll shut up now!

[kensington25]

I totally agree with all of the above. A forum such as this is a place is a great place for people with a similar interest to meet and discuss their interest. It is also a safe environment for naturists to discuss other issues too where they will not be judged for bein a naturist.

[grahambell]

People with similar interests tend to form groups, associations to discuss about their common interest or whatever. It's normal that you like to stay with people alike

[jeep]

I rekon that if western civilisation had not been conned by religions very successfull attempt to ween mankind off any and all aspects of life that represented thier old religious ways (Including nudity which was widely used in the old religious practice as well as just a way of living dayly life) and then coerced subsequently by fasion trends that clothing is essential to cover that disgusting thing we call our own bodies, not optional as needed due to conditions, then sites like this and most posibly porn (At least with the prevalence that it is) may not exist, as nudity would be nothing strange, people who prefer to be nude would not need to seek the companionship and support of others with similar ideas via clubs and sites and as the body would not be this big mystery to society it would not attract the attention it does presently as a sexual device in its own right.
Funny how its mainly the religious set (As well as the plain uneducated and brainwashed) who think due to the teachings of thier faiths that the very body created by thier god is disgusting, rude and crude. Cant be a very perfect god as they always espouse if this package he formed us all in is so bad. This is not an attack on those who follow the modern faiths but more a comment on the hypocritical nature of some of the teachings which were plainly included for no other reason than co-ersion and control of the masses early on and lingers to this day.

[Krissy16]

I do agree that groups like this would still exist in a perfect society, but I do also think that it fills a need now in our non-perfect society... That being that nudism isn't terribly popular, at least when you consider the world's population, it's a small percentage that want to "run around naked", and we're seen as oddballs or maybe worse by the "mainstay" of our society - especially us in the US.  I agree that society is that way due to close-mindedness, etc... and if more people would try it, they'd find out that it isn't so odd... but because of how our society sees us, we all have a need to join a group like YNAI and congregate together to share our common interest/lifestyle.  YNAI also gives an outlet to those who may be curious, but who have no other way to express their interest in nudism... It's not like you can go to your local library, school or church and start asking about what nudism is...  While I've never thought about nudism as anything more than just normal for me... it's still nice to know that there are more of you out there than just the few I've met in my lifetime, and I've made some really good friends here too, so it's all good.... right??

[NickLPMA]

there will always be social groupings like this (much like there are for any number of other interests-music,drugs, jet-skiing, etc.) because people are, as stated above, inclined to gather with people who share similar enthusiasms or. In a perfect world, however, one would not be pre-judged due to their associations and interests but be taken in as a whole person.

[Brandon]

Thanks, monkeyfish, for posing this thought-provoking question.

I suppose if you envision something similar to a traditional "primitive" society in a warm place where people in general don't wear clothes, what would there be to discuss about naturism? 

On the other hand, if you had a formerly-textile society that fully accepted nudity as an option, there would still be questions to discuss on a forum like this, and those who preferred nudity might seek activities with others of their kind.

(A society where nudity is an option raises many questions: Would nudity be considered casual clothing like jeans, suitable for college campuses, shopping and recreation, but not necessarily for offices, except maybe on casual Fridays? Would it be considered very gauche to wear clothes to certain restaurants or clubs? Would only those with thin or athletic bodies choose to go nude? Would males go nude more than  females, or vice versa? Lots of possibilities to contemplate!)

[Bostonian26]

I rekon that if western civilisation had not been conned by religions very successfull attempt to ween mankind off any and all aspects of life that represented thier old religious ways (Including nudity which was widely used in the old religious practice as well as just a way of living dayly life) and then coerced subsequently by fasion trends that clothing is essential to cover that disgusting thing we call our own bodies, not optional as needed due to conditions, then sites like this and most posibly porn (At least with the prevalence that it is) may not exist, as nudity would be nothing strange, people who prefer to be nude would not need to seek the companionship and support of others with similar ideas via clubs and sites and as the body would not be this big mystery to society it would not attract the attention it does presently as a sexual device in its own right.
Funny how its mainly the religious set (As well as the plain uneducated and brainwashed) who think due to the teachings of thier faiths that the very body created by thier god is disgusting, rude and crude. Cant be a very perfect god as they always espouse if this package he formed us all in is so bad. This is not an attack on those who follow the modern faiths but more a comment on the hypocritical nature of some of the teachings which were plainly included for no other reason than co-ersion and control of the masses early on and lingers to this day.

Jeep,
While this is certainly a tangent from the original thread, I think your point is well taken. However, as a Catholic, and a naturist, I have to say I disagree with your take on things. I think the brush you use "the religious set" is far far too broad. Are there subsets of religions that inculcate shame about the body? sure. I think part of the reason Americans seem to be more uptight than Europeans when it comes to bodies, is because of our Puritan origins. However, I'd wager that this is religion gone awry, rather than being properly understood. The body is a gift to be enjoyed and used responsibly. Catholicism certainly teaches that. I thus don't think that the teachings are hypocritical, but in most cases they have been misunderstood or misrepresented.

I do agree with you on a diminishment of pornography. There should be a right mystery about the body, acknowledging it as a beautiful wonderful thing, but not the wrong mystery which sees it as taboo and thus provocative.

[piano man]

It's all about the label; people form groups, attain a status, and it becomes part of our identity. Someone who enjoys nudity is not necessarily a naturist/nudist, but then there are the active naturists/nudists who lobby for their rights and protest, and of course there's everyone in between. To some of us, it's not our defining trait, but to others, it comes before everything else. I guess it all depends on how involved you are, and therein lies how big of a deal it is.

The fact of the matter is that this hobby is not the most common thing in the world, so practicing it makes us different, and in our difference from the general population, we are brought together. That's certainly not a bad thing, though 

[KingMidas]

Okay, well; as a future psychologist I've read alot about this subject. As long as there are different people, you want to look for confirmation. You want to see if there are more people with the same thought and experiences. There's are uncertainty in everyone that is looking for a conformation bias to see whether his/her beheavior is accepted and okay to talk about.

There has been interesting research on this topic.