Naturism is meant to be about the freedom and relaxation being without clothes brings....I'm forever reading and being told that it's not about having a great body, nor wanting to look at naked bodies....So why is that soo many people, mostly men collect naked pictures of nude women who are far removed from the overweight, not so young women like myself? In poses/photos that are more glamour than natural naturist pictures. If it's not about looking at nude people why do it?
It's taken a long time for me to put my hang ups about my own self image behind me and this kind of thing puts me almost back to square one and makes me wonder if naturism is all it's cracked up to be. I'm sure I will continue to practice the lifestyle because I love how relaxed it makes me feel, but I believe that alot of women are made to feel inferior because of these images that men like so much and are put off the whole idea of naturism.
Update..6 years later!! Over the past 6 years, I've gained weight and more recently lost it again, but still being naked causes me issues.. Why? Perhaps the obsession of my partner in embracing the whole naked thing, not only by practising it but by constantly flaunting photos of himself naked on social media and by following several young, attractive, naked women who claim to be naturist but seem to be more like models as many of the poses are provocative or erotic in nature. No matter how often I say how much this upsets me and makes me depressed about my own body image, nothing changes. I'm obviously the one with the problem it seems as I'm often told I'm being ridiculous but how the hell is one meant to be accepting of one's own imperfections when the person you love feels the need to follow perceived perfection
2 comments:
Your words here demonstrate what we've been saying for years; the inclusion of skin galleries on 'naturist' websites confuses the issue, especially for newcomers who see the personal hobby of some men (and a couple of women) presented as
connected to naturism, which it is NOT.
Throughout history men (mostly) have been looking at pictures of naked women; it has nothing to do with naturism. In fact, most men who have a habit of searching the internet for photos to collect and share are Textiles, obviously. There are far more of them! It's a guy thing, not a nudist thing.
This enthusiasm for owning nude pics is a personal preference that some men are quite involved in and is harmless in itself; the problem arises when their devotion to their hobby becomes confused in their minds with the nude women they see at nudist venues. Somehow they make a link between social nudism and naked photos, then insist on presenting their pastime as a nudist activity. They cannot separate the two in their minds so they think everyone thinks the same way. This is reinforced by others of their ilk who agree and support them.
Add to this the growing tendency for legitimate nudist websites and organizations to embrace more 'modern' ideas to attract newcomers, and we have a situation where it appears that nude photos, nude photography, and nude galleries are part of the nudist/naturist lifestyle rather than just something which a lot of folks enjoy independent of naturism.
This incorrect and destructive depiction of nudism reinforces the public conception of naturists as sex-obsessed and makes it even harder to get the truth across.
Most, as in nearly all, nudists do NOT subscribe to the notion that nude photos are related in any way to naturism and deplore this exploitation of our lifestyle for personal purposes. We sincerely hope you don't let the selfish actions of the few stop you from enjoying this great social nudist lifestyle. There's little we can do about these guys but you should be aware that they are a small minority of real nudists.
So relax, MOSt of the guys at the nude beach aren't staring at your body as an object they might like to possess (like their photos), but are simply there for the fresh air and the company of others who know what naturism really is!
Being free to express ourselves in any way, is a right that each of us has. Our freedom comes, not from what other people do or think, but what we do ourselves. If you enjoy being naked, that is all that's important. Why let what other people do interfere with that?
You are beautiful if that is what you believe. Nobody else can make you ugly.
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