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Genesis tells us about the moment humans first “realized” they were naked, quickly followed by the moment they were first ashamed of being naked — but it doesn’t explain why humans were ashamed. Animals are naked (albeit furry), and for tens of thousands of years, so were human beings. So what changed — and if we wanted to, could we change back, and unlearn our shame? Recently, some British researchers attempted to find out.
Their theory is that the shame of being naked was codified in (most) human societies as a way of protecting mating pairs. (Perhaps it’s no coincidence that humans are among the few mammals that mate for life — and they’re also ashamed of being naked.) The thinking goes that humans’ natural gregariousness and need to interact outside the family group, coupled with nakedness, created too many temptations to stray from the mating pair.
That’s where our shame of nudity comes in. Over thousands of generations, we’ve learned that showing off a naked body sends out sexual signals that threaten the security of mating pairs. And we’ve chosen to agree that that is a bad thing. Shame is the ideal emotion to enforce that code of conduct. Because it feels unpleasant, we avoid it at all costs.
So what was this crazy study? As part of a BBC television program, a group of psychologists took a group of ordinary British folks, and in a few days attempted to break down some of the societal prohibitions regarding nakedness amongst them, to see if they could ever start to feel comfortable being naked in the presence of strangers. From the BBC:
Eight ordinary people – none of them nudists – were recently brought together for an experiment filmed by the BBC’s Horizon programme, to test some of the scientific theories that explain why naked bodies make us so uncomfortable. Among them were Phil, 39, from Birmingham and Kath, 40, from Dorset. Kath’s greatest worry was that people would laugh at her. Some of the men in the group were more concerned about inappropriate excitement.
After a series of experiments, Phil and Kath, who had been so self-conscious at the start, each came face-to-face with a newly stripped fellow volunteer. They were invited to paint the body in front of them, colour coding every patch of skin to show how uncomfortable they felt touching that part of the body – red for no-go; yellow for squirming and green for fine.
Phil drew the line at colouring his subject’s genitals, but Kath had lost all her inhibitions. Within moments she’d painted her subject completely green. Every inch. Over a couple of days, the volunteers had unlearned many of the social conventions that normally govern their life, and reached a new consensus that permitted them to be naked in each other’s company.
It chimes with the psychologists’ theory that we are not born with a shame of nudity. Instead we learn it, as an important behavioural code that allows us to operate in human society.
What do you think? Is being clothed an outmoded societal remnant, or is it still necessary to “protect mating pairs”?
Comments (52)
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Well, I COULD come into the argument saying that clothing protects the body from the elements and keeps us warm in the cold… but that doesn’t quite work because humans lost all of our hair accept for pubic and armpit hair to be sexy so aparently warmth and protection aren’t exactly top of the list. I could ALSO come into the argument that clothes contribute to different cultural styles and helped people communicate where they were from and what they were about without having to learn another language… but that too is a shot in the dark because humans are social animals and WANT to talk and share ideas with one another (even angsty teenagers who lock themselves in thier bedrooms with they black hairdye and Emo music are addicted to Facebook and Webcams…). Personally, I don’t like being naked because I see nearly naked girls every day that look a LOT better than I do and I’m afraid of losing my husband or being laughed at. Its more jealousy than shame. Every time I look into a magazine or watch TV I forget that I went to college and have a good job and a successful marriage and I think about how much I would like to have a perfect little body and how those unintelligent, skinny girls can choke on a laxative and die in a fire. And be shot by a bear… with laser eyes… or something…
posted by Kate on 3-11-2009 at 8:03 am
I’m with you, Kate!
I’m not so much ashamed of my nudity as I am worried that I’ll be compared with others. And it’s more self-consciousness than anything…I just don’t want anyone to see all the fat that I can hide under my clothes :). It’s not that I’m ashamed of my reproductive organs, it’s my belly fat and thigh fat that I don’t want anyone to see!
posted by Fruppi on 3-11-2009 at 9:08 am
While I don’t disagree with this article, it really only addresses naked embarrassment in western civilization and not the impact of social norms in the psychology of naked embarrassment.
E.g. Maori, Aboriginal, some Polynesian, and some African tribes do not show the same ashamedness in nudity; likely because they are brought up in cultures that don’t incite embarrassment for it. Or how about nudists?
posted by Joel on 3-11-2009 at 9:28 am
The theory states the ban is based on mating issues. Keeping a pair of mates together to raise offspring is a good idea. Yet the study uses a 40 year old woman who is most likely past mating age, it seems to make the study invalid in terms of testing the theory. It may test pair-bonding vs sexual attraction but it has little to do with mating.
posted by drHoward on 3-11-2009 at 9:38 am
I didn’t need a BBC program to tell me that we aren’t born with shame about nudity. Have you ever spent time with toddlers? My five and three year old nieces (whose parents are very typical prepsters, not hippies) love to be naked. They famously scandalized my 94 year old grandmother by running naked from their bath, sitting on the piano bench and saying “look great-grandma, we’re playing nudie music!”
I think that’s the hardest thing, to teach children to want to cover their bodies, without teaching them to dislike or be ashamed of their bodies, especially girls.
posted by Julie on 3-11-2009 at 9:47 am
Here are a few other theories:
(1) There’s the traditional Christian perspective that we were okay being nudists until we ate the forbidden fruit, which gave us the ‘knowledge of good and evil’. In other words, if you’re innocent, you’re okay with it, but if you’re not innocent, you don’t want to run around nude because it incites you to sin. That’s basically a twist on your monogamous relationship argument.
(2) Most people don’t look good nude. This argument works well for me. If we do loosen up a bit about nudity, I think we should vote on who gets to parade around nude.
(3) It’s more sanitary. I’d much rather have a stranger accidentally staining his shorts than my chairs.
(4) Clothes keep your movable bits from constantly getting in the way. This applies to both men and women.
(5) Clothes protect your skin from brambles, rocks, the teeth of unfriendly creatures, etc.
I could probably think of lots more arguments for remaining clothed, but that’s a start.
posted by airship on 3-11-2009 at 10:31 am
my contirbution to this argument can be said in one word:
POCKETS!
posted by motorkitty on 3-11-2009 at 10:58 am
You want to lose your shame real quick? Join your local amature theatre scene. Tiny theatres do not have enough space backstage for 2 dressing rooms.
posted by Lisa H on 3-11-2009 at 11:11 am
We don’t need clothes anymore to protect “mating pairs.” We need clothes to support the multi-billion dollar fashion industry.
posted by Jeff on 3-11-2009 at 11:36 am
My “shame” of nudity has absolutely nothing to do with disliking my body or fearing comparisons. I just don’t like people seeing me naked. I never have. I’ll sleep in the nude because it’s way more comfortable, I (used to) wear tiny bikinis with no problem, but I don’t even like changing around my sisters. I do it, but I hate it. It has nothing to do with religion, or strict parents – my mom was naked around us all the time.
My dislike of it only worsened when I caught a peeping tom staring at me and doing things best done in private outside a window where I was changing. (He was at the same party as me the night before, and actually bent back the blinds on the window so he could spy on the first girl to use that restroom. Ew! 3rd strike – he’s going to prison a long time) I wasn’t even comfortable with my husband seeing me naked for a while after that.
posted by Leah on 3-11-2009 at 12:19 pm
I really dont feel so much ashamed when i am nude as embarased about my body or worried what others may think. I also totaly agree with airship on most of those theories. One other thing is at home i am fine wlking around and doing things in the buff, but it gets cold and as already been stated, things can get in the way or not fell so great on bare skin.
posted by Jennifer on 3-11-2009 at 12:42 pm
My home is out in the country, in the midst of 40 acres of woods. I have been outside briefly wearing nothing but the breeze, just for the experience, and it’s a strange feeling.
posted by Vickey on 3-11-2009 at 12:49 pm
Well, I COULD come into the argument saying that clothing protects the body from the elements and keeps us warm in the cold… but that doesn’t quite work because humans lost all of our hair accept for pubic and armpit hair to be sexy so apparently warmth and protection aren’t exactly top of the list.
Evolution-wise, this happened when our ancestors lived in a part of Africa where frost-bite wasn’t a problem. At this point, I don’t think we could all live there, so we have to adapt to where we live now.
posted by anomdebus on 3-11-2009 at 1:26 pm
The time when it was normal for humans to be naked around eachother was also a time lacking television, fast food, and the ability for an average American to run a mile with out killing over. Our society has created a “lazy” human race that results in overweight and obese beings who are aware that their bodies are something to be ashamed of. Who would want to be naked when your carrying around an extra 20 pounds in your gut and butt. That alone brings back the mating issue. Many people are already tempted to find someone thinner and better looking than their mate with or without clothing. What’s worse, our market banks off the idea of clothing and the overwhelming weight gain of our American society. Fast food, diet plans, clothing stores. Where would they be without the “bigger, better, I want more for less” attitude we have today? As much as we could try to train ourselves to accept nudity as normality, society will quickly brain wash the world back to reality.
posted by Katie on 3-11-2009 at 1:35 pm
I know that shame is learned…
I don’t show my body off to strangers but if someone accidentally saw me naked or I knew them well enough I have no problem with getting undressed around them as long as I knew what the terms of the relationship were.
posted by Sarah Christensen on 3-11-2009 at 2:05 pm
for my part, i think clothing is necessary. people don’t tend to like to be reminded that underneath it all, we are all still squishy-fleshed people. not to mention there is such harsh judgement passed on anyone who isn’t exactly the ideal body type. erase those two things, and we could all be naked with joy in our hearts!
as for protecting ‘mating pairs,’ that level of protection comes from actually knowing the person you’ve decided to pair off with. being naked or not has less to do with it these days.
posted by Laura. on 3-11-2009 at 2:24 pm
I NEED to wear clothes for one reason only. To keep the adult entertainment industry from recruiting me!
posted by Johnson on 3-11-2009 at 3:12 pm
I completely disagree with the assumption that humans mate for life. We clearly don’t.
posted by Anna on 3-11-2009 at 4:45 pm
I’ve read many comments saying that the person is not ashamed but embarrassed about their body (presumably because they are overweight). This is practically the same thing. It is shame for an unhealthy lifestyle and its results. It is shame that they don’t look like the girls on television.
Newsflash: whether or not you’re wearing clothes, people can still tell if you’re overweight. And perhaps if people were able to put that out in the open then 1) less people would overeat or 2) fat would become less taboo and people would feel better about their bodies.
posted by Lily on 3-11-2009 at 9:59 pm
I agree with Katie. Back when we are all fit hunter-gatherers we were athletic and competent and thus fine-looking. It’s when we started to relax and laze around once we became more agrarian that the problems vis-a-vis nudity appear to have started. People began to realize they were obese and didn’t look as though they would win in “survival of the fittest.”
It’s a long shot but could be true…
posted by Oneita on 3-11-2009 at 10:15 pm
I live in Calgary, Canada. It’s cold here, so if i went naked I’d freeze to death. Also, going naked would stain the furniture in my house. I think that shame is part of the equation, but also warmth and hygiene is another important part of it too.
posted by anna on 3-11-2009 at 11:13 pm
widespread public nudity does not appeal to me. i picture myself sitting naked on a bus/stadium/etc seat that was recently occupied by a large, sweaty, smelly old man. ew.
posted by pc on 3-12-2009 at 1:36 am
After the Glory of God was stripped from the bodies of Adam and Eve(due to their own actions) that they noticed they were naked. The shame comes from not having God’s glory on us anymore. One bite of that fruit ripped us from God’s glory on us and replaced it with sin consciousness. Plus, as stated, our nakedness is for our mates not to flaunt to all who have eyes.
posted by Zee on 3-16-2009 at 6:04 pm
Well if EVERYONE was naked, I don’t think I’d mind, because I’m sure a lot of them would look like me, and they’d probably be more worried about their own bodies than mine. I do wish I had better skin though. Not that it’s SO bad..
Also… yeah, pockets. D:
posted by oki on 3-16-2009 at 6:54 pm
In my case, the most influential factor in the choice of public nudity (other than perhaps feeling chilly) is the high probability of harassment by males. We live in an area where going topless is legal for women; in discussion with other women, most say they would love to strip off on a hot day, but know it wouldn’t be worth the crap they would be subjected to. I am perfectly comfortable on clothing optional beaches, but they are few and far between.
posted by maureen on 3-16-2009 at 9:24 pm
I’m thinking back and remember being told that women used to be covered up entirely except for face, of course, and that, for some reason, a woman’s ankle or somethin like that was showing, a man was turned on just because they would never see that part of a woman’s body. If the society we lived in today was having everyone naked, theres nothing more you could want to see as everything is already being shown. There are no more times where you are trying to get girls to flash you at a party or anything (just an example, don’t judge) to that nature because its all there for you too see. Now i know this may sound awesome, which it would be for a certain amount of time, but when there is nothing more.. whats left?
posted by Chris on 3-16-2009 at 10:44 pm
Look no further than our infants – they are happy to run around nude as the day they were born, with other children or without. For sure the nakedness phobia is a learned response!
p.s. the ConnectLink advertisements (you know, the hyperlinks that have TWO underlines which means its an advert (like under the word ” thinner “, are really, really annoying.
posted by ranse on 3-17-2009 at 7:57 am
This isn’t really a surprise for one only has to look at the glee with which 3 year olds will run around naked in the summer on the lawn to know that we are not born with it. I would say, from observation and personal experience that it is not till the beginning of adolescence that nakedness is really feared.
posted by Grant on 3-17-2009 at 8:24 pm
omg!u people are steroetyping each side nudity is a good thing it helps us be more comfortable anf i na few years less judgemental and i here kids who go to nude beachers are less apt to harboring a baby when there 17!they already are used to naked girls and boys.so they dont have sex and if u are all naked u cant rlly judge on looks lots of skinny girls n fat ones u judge on how somone is so mating isn’t a problem and accorse u would still keep cloths when its cold but when its HOT outside like 95 in florida u wanan be naked it feels sooo good instead of the hot sweat under your cloths…and u have jackets for when its like 30 or when u feel uncomfortable from cold just be sencable.and righto we wil lnever be able to accept nudity as a part time thing because to meny big organizeations have sooo meny jobs for it who would revolt so this is kinda pointless but yes in my eyes nudity is good overall and cloths are good when neccecarcy just be smary people
posted by branden on 3-19-2009 at 6:26 pm
Branden. Until you can write a coherent sentence no one is going to take you seriously.
I think it’s fairly obvious that a disinclination towards public nudity is a societal teaching. That being said, the idea of a society that is unashamed of its nakedness intrigues and delights me.
posted by Alice on 3-20-2009 at 5:54 am
As a naturist, I know how great it is to not wear clothes, but I still wear them regularly. There are lots of good reasons to. Temperature is one of course. Below room tempearatue, you’ll really want to have clothes on, or it’s just uncomfortable. Hygiene is another good reason. Sitting in someone else’s sweat is just gross. If you visit a naturist camp, you’ll see people carefully draping towels over seats before they sit down for exactly that reason. And really, at a naturist camp, or beach, or whatever, no one is going to care how you look. Having a good time and respect for one another is much more important.
posted by Roel on 3-20-2009 at 10:26 am
Something I’ve noted after reading this: If society were to suddenly reverse, where I was the only one /not/ wearing clothes, I don’t think it’d take long to drop my shame.
Peer pressure…
posted by Anon on 3-20-2009 at 10:21 pm
Women tend to develop long droopy breasts without bras, but I guess beauty is defined differently in societies were nudity is the norm.
posted by Sari on 3-21-2009 at 7:46 am
the fact that actual “scientists” of some sort could be so shortsighted and ethnocentric is a little depressing. How can you claim some innate, genetic, or biological reasoning behind the human race’s shame at being nude. when there are plenty of non-western, “primitive” cultures who have no such shame. Higher education doesn’t get people very far these days, geez
posted by Jizzle on 3-21-2009 at 3:35 pm
having the option of being naked would do a great deal to further the hygiene and moral and responsibility factors of human on human daily contact…except we are reckless self absorbed dolts, who would rather hide themselves than stand for themselves and be proud. its not healthy for anyone to be have masses of over eating ashamed creatures flocking to reproduce, the human figure is a work of art and care should be given to keep HUMANITY from de-evolving into a vogrim blot. healthy = happy
posted by i am not naked am i on 3-22-2009 at 4:09 am
I’m surprised no one has mentioned sun burns or skin cancer as a reason for not being nude.
posted by Nico on 3-22-2009 at 11:24 pm
As you mentioned in the article, the subjects in the experiment quickly adapted to being nude. I think the “shame” you mentioned is a by-product of nudity being used as a tool for greater intimacy between romantic partners. So, i would agree that not being nude helps strengthen relationships, though not by avoiding temptation but by increasing it in our romantic relations with our partners.
posted by Clinton on 3-26-2009 at 5:56 pm
I really wish we could all be naked, i think it would help get rid of the heavy burden people carry with them about their bodies. Also the porn industry would take a considerable hit. Obviously we would still need clothes for cold weather but imagine how nice it might be if once you got inside you could go nude again. I’m not a nudist however I feel that if made the norm, nudity could solve a lot of problems. Oh as far as religion goes last time i checked angels were in the buff.
posted by Eric on 3-27-2009 at 7:22 pm
I don’t find anything wrong with walking around naked.I enjoy it and makes me feel good.I do it whenever I can and walking outside in the rain is awesome.I am a man and feel comfortable with my body.In the hot tub,suntanning outside in the sun,in bed naked,etc.I wish more women would feel that way and just go for it..it really feels good to be naked .
posted by Doug Turski on 3-29-2009 at 12:39 am
1.) A 40 year old woman is not “past mating age.” Centuries ago, perhaps she may have been, but today a woman of 40 can still bear children and is frequently still in her sexual prime.
2.) There is no conclusive medical evidence that wearing a bra will prevent the natural eventuality of sagging breasts.
3.) The idea that modern obesity has caused the shame and stigma surrounding nudity does not hold up, at least not to my analysis. For this to be true, it would require that standards of beauty and fitness have remained constant throughout history and across the world. Yet in many places today, and in the western world as recently as the Victorian era, the most admired figures–frequently painted in all their bounteous nude glory–were body types that would today be considered overweight or even “obese.” Though today we consider the Victorians a prudish and fastidiously modest bunch, they were also responsible for some of the loveliest nude art the world has ever seen–and this movement was influenced heavily (no pun intended) by Queen Victoria, who was herself no waif.
Pardon the digression–it’s a fascinating subject, though, and I strongly suggest a BBC production entitled “Empire of the Nude” for anyone who is interested in learning more.
In any case, I think we should keep in mind when discussing things like this that our current fascination with the fashion-model/supermodel look is not necessarily something genetically ingrained. Count me in as another who thinks less anxiety and shame surrounding our bodies would result in a healthier attitude overall…and probably an eventual softening of the hypersexualization we’ve come to pin on our bodies, which are so much more than sexual things.
posted by Songbird on 3-29-2009 at 9:02 pm
All of the people who think widespread nudity is not a good idea because they don’t want to have to look at fat people…get a life! No one invited you to look at me. If everyone were nude all of the time, perhaps more people would appreciate the diversity of body shapes present in humanity instead of complaining that other people should change who they are for their own personal benefit. It is because of people like you who see fit to constantly judges the bodies of everyone around them that people are afraid to be naked in the first place.
posted by Sara on 4-15-2009 at 12:11 am
I’ve always been uncomfortable about being nude around others and I hated that. I always wanted to find the courage to undress right in the middle of the changing room so everything was right out in the open for all to see but I just couldn’t do it.
When I have kids I am going to do everything I can to make sure they are comfortable with all parts of their body. I think it is a positive for kids to learn about their entire body at a young age. The penis and vagina are private but not something anybody should be embarassed about.
posted by Matt on 4-18-2009 at 2:58 pm
From a religious perspective,nakedness and clothing mean things. Male and female is the image of God. Each is an image separately and they together in what the Bible calls a ‘one flesh’ relationship, the covenant of matrimony or marriage. The male body means something, something masculine, something unique about God, something related to being a Bridegroom. The female body means something, something feminine, something unique about God, something related to being Bride. Male and female bodies engaged in sexual intimacy mean something. Something about union, unity, giving and receiving, exclusive commitment, devotion and loyalty, life and nurture. The Bible calls it ‘knowing’. The body is the means by which one is known.
All of these things ’speak’ something of the image of God. They image a past, the present and the future. The Scriptures exhort us to affirm the meaning of the body.
Clothing has to do with more than practical functions of warmth and protections but has to do with office. Our clothing says something about us, a uniform being perhaps the most obvious example. The judge in his black robe ceases to be ‘just another guy’. He represents someone beside himself, something beyond himself. The policeman, the priest, the doctor, the lab scientist, the soldier, furnace repair person, the cashier at Wal-Mart. God is always clothing people in the Scriptures and especially His Bride.
The body is beautiful and good. No need to be ashamed. But exposure of the body means something in particular which is why it is kept for a special relationship, that of husband and wife. The element of mystery, and mystery revealed and enjoyed is wonderful and significant. That it becomes a means of special intimacy and knowing is also important.
Making nudity normative makes it common and cheapens the things that should be treasured in these special ways.
Outta’ time. Sorry but this will have to do.
Fr. Wayne McNamara
posted by Wayne McNamara on 4-21-2009 at 3:52 pm
I take my clothes off every chance I get and that’s why I wear as little as possible, including no underwear. It feels so good to air parts that never see the sun or feel a breeze. It makes me feel extremely comfortable and at ease, happy.
I did it sneaky at first for the excitement, but now I do it openly with my wife to relax. Haven’t done the nude beach or anything yet but will when the wife opens up. I have noticed that thinking about going to a nude beach in the future has helped me to lose 25 pounds and makes me want to get into shape, which I am doing and looking better than ever.
Why are people ashamed? Fear.
PARTY NAKED!!!
posted by Clint on 5-4-2009 at 2:41 pm
There are tribes that to this day wear nothing more than a small patch of animal skin in front of their lower genitalia. Having 97% of the human body exposed isn’t a threat to Monogamy. That’s ridiculous. Hiding our bodies is merely another societally imposed restriction and encourages further insecurity for the citizenry.
“..we learn it, as an important behavioural code that allows us to operate in human society.” Important to whom? Who is to say that a society can’t operate with a more spartanly clad populace?
those are imposed social controls that continue to hinder our senses of empathy and self confidence.
Just take off your shirt and get used to it. (especially in a hot climate!)
posted by Andy Merrick on 8-1-2009 at 7:47 pm
First off, I dislike the CAPTCHA words you must enter on many websites to post a comment because 90% of the time, I can’t read the frickin “words”.
That out of the way, here’s my two cents on this issue. I am 30 years old, going on 31 (next March) and, for the first 27, 28 years or so, I was living in shame of my body. I was brought up like most people…that being nude is bad or private, which must never be seen by anyone but a spouse/lover.
At about that time in my life (after 27 or 28 years), nudism found me. I always used to say that I discovered nudism, but I strongly believe it found me instead. It found me by accident, too, because before then, I was a porn addict. That’s right. I was addicted to pornography…in the WORST possible way, too!
Thanks to nudism, I’ve backed off of porn, though not completely, but far less than the addiction I had. Being a nudist has made me more self-confident about myself. I’m no longer ashamed of what I look like. For a while, nudism has made my life better in so many ways, one of which I already explained. But, this peace of mind did not last. More in my next comment.
posted by David - a (struggling?) nudist on 8-13-2009 at 12:10 am
continued —
When I decided to tell some of my family members that I was a nudist, the problems began…though not right away. See, I’m the only nudist in my entire family. They still have body shame and phobias that I once had, pre-nudist. With a few (VERY FEW) exceptions, no one in my family would let me be nude in their presence, for it would make them uncomfortable.
Yet, no one in my family will give me a straight answer as to WHY nudity makes them uncomfortable. To them, it just does…no reason why…just that it does. And, when I tried convincing them that nudity is no big deal and that I’ve gotten used to it, they got defensive. Though they deny it, I feel like an outcast in my own family. Ain’t that nice (sarcasm)? The few that support me of being a nudist say that they don’t mind if I’m naked in private, but NOT when they’re around.
This went on for quite some time until it reached a breaking point. Now, I feel as though I’m struggling with my own nudist lifestyle as I find it hard to practice, except at night when they’re asleep and when I’m home alone during the day. I’m not trying to shock anyone with my nudity. I just want to do everyday things in the nude, but trying convincing most of my family with that statement and all hell breaks loose, especially if they see it.
But, what they don’t realize is that the stress and aggravations of not letting me be nude whenever I want to is putting quite a struggle on this thing. In fact, it’s putting me on a much more dangerous path…possibly putting me back on the porn addiction again! I’m not saying I’m addicted to it as I was, but it’s becoming much more frequent than it was when I was peacefully nude. To that, I say this: HELP!
posted by David - a (struggling?) nudist on 8-13-2009 at 12:29 am
To claim we’re coded for shame with nudity is bollocks, anyone with an inkling of how evolution works can see that. Especially if the argument is to prevent mated couples from straying. It’s always in a male’s best genetic interest to mate with as many females as possible, unless the offspring need paternal investment for long periods of time.
posted by Dwain on 10-19-2009 at 9:42 am
You know, I admire people who have turned around what I see as a sort of silly inhibition and feel comfortable with their nudity.
That said, I take a pragmatic approach to the question posed and remind people tha tin the north eastern US, it’s cold like half the year. Perhaps our society could out mode the body-shame cycle but it’s still a survival issue between November – April.
posted by Diggum on 11-6-2009 at 4:34 pm
As a nudist, I found this article to be very interesting, though, as @drHoward points out above, what we see of the study doesn’t seem to test the theory that shame at nudity came about to protect pair bonds. I’m not sure how much is learned, culturally based behavior and how much comes from within. My daughter, who has grown to adolescence in a clothing optional home, is uncomfortable being nude or seeing my wife or me nude, so we cover up when she’s around.
As for the issues of hygiene and body image, nudists carry a towel around to sit on, and when everyone else around you is nude and showing their imperfections, the embarrassment tends to go away.
posted by Pete Schult on 12-14-2009 at 2:23 am
I didn’t read this in whole. But I would like to share my opinion.
If we talk about past, ok, people were naked, and it was normal, why are we dressing now ? There are probably many reasons.
But I ask you what is normal ?
By nature people are born naked, you are not born with clothes but yup, you can’t run in city without clothes cause it’s not polite, not nice bla bla ..
Could anybody live on Antartica without clothes ? I don’t think so.
So we don’t have to talk about what was like before and now ..
But what I’m interested is shame in front of others, if its natural to be naked why 90% of civilization is ashamed ?
Well that is not normal for me, aldo I’m ashamed my self, but I’m one guy who thinks: “Where all people go, I’ll go”, I don’t feel normal when others wear clothes and I do, but for example, after sports, in gym or after soccer, we all go to showers and no we don’t touch each others or anything like that, but we are not ashamed, no dirty thoughts … Its so simple and easy, no negative, or wrong thoughts, relaxed, natural, normal feeling.
But I have 1 more opinion, most of people here mentioned they have extra pounds and that they are ashamed cause of it. Well if you were naked from start, you wouldn’t have that extra pounds, cause you would see your body and you would know that everybody sees your body every day, and you would take care of it ..
Well I had conversation about this with 1 girl, she is ashamed in front of her family, and I’m not, why is there need to hide something that your own parents made ? They made me, they feed me, cleaned me and changed my dippers, and now I should be ashamed after I passed puberty ? Why ? I’m still their child, and I will always be. And I think there is nothing to be ashamed of…
I believe all negative feelings are not good, and that we should think only positive, so this cant be right ..
My two cents ..
posted by Tomislav on 1-15-2010 at 7:57 pm
Sorry I wrote dippers, instead of diapers.
I wanted to type one more thing …
About mating, I think that clothes makes it even worse. If girls are dressed sexy, I think it can make guys more interested in mating then completely without clothes.
Think about it, forbidden fruit is sweetest …
What you can’t see, you imagine and I think brain is most powerful mechanism in human body. But yup, being naked could make things easier for some “not normal, not healthy” people..
posted by Tomislav on 1-15-2010 at 8:05 pm